Sun.Star: RP dancers fall in 2nd Int'l dancesport tilt

CEBU CITY - Filipino dance athletes were shut out by their European counterparts in the second International Dancesport Championship 2007 Saturday (September 22) at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Grand Ballroom. Despite fielding more competitors being the host team, the RP team lost to the Slovenians and Kiwis who managed to upstage the locals in their own turf as they bagged the top plums in the Latin and Standard IDSF Open categories. “There is more work to do before we could finally beat our European counterparts," said Dancesport Team Cebu City top honcho Edward Hayco. Slovenian partners Luca Bussoletti and partner Tjasa Vulic, the obvious crowd-favorites who are recognized as the Tiger Woods of the Standard dances, never disappointed the crowd as they sailed to the victory of the standard division Saturday. Bussoletti and Vulic are ranked 13th in the world. Vulic’s flowing yellow gown made the Slovenia couple looked like they were gliding while dancing the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, foxtrot and quickstep that received top marks from the adjudicators. Taking second place in the IDSF standard is Finland’s Krist Jan Kuusk and Anri Marikakoonen. RP’s Emmanuel Reyes and Maira Rosete, the 2005 Southeast Asian Games (Seag) silver medallists settled for third place. China’s Jin Xing and Mengyuan Wang, Philippine’s Brian and Karla Ocana and Hong Kong’s Bo Wang and Lan Lan Chong rounded up the top six. Meanwhile, in the Latin IDSF Open, both defending champions and Seag silver medallists were ousted by foreigners. New Zealand’s Arkady Bakenov and Rosa Filippello dominated the latin events. The duo prevented the Slovenians to sweep all premier titles as they led by a small margin over Bussoletti and Vulic, who took the silver. Relegated to third The winner of the first IDSF Open a few years ago, Gerald Jamili and Carol Bacera had to settle for third place. Ronnie Steve Vergara and Charlea Lagaras made it to fourth place, as Sea games silver medalist John Erolle Melencio and Dearlie Gerodias, another crowd favorite could only salvage a fifth place finish. The Filipinos, however, scored big in the closed Asia events—a division solely for Asian countries—as they pulled a 1-2-3 finish. Jamili and Bacera topped the Grade A Latin division over Vergara and Lagaras and Melencio and Gerodias. In the Closed Asia for standard, it was Jin Xing and Mengyuan Wang, who won the title, outclassing Reyes and Rosete and the Ocanas who settled for second and third places, respectively. For the local participants, the big winner is couple Anselmo Estillore and Mae Lozada, who went home with three gold medals. The duo topped the Latin Adult C, Latin Special Event 1F and Latin Special Event 1M. International Children’s Games medallists Inoue Roi Rendon and Christy Kim Velez topped the Standard Youth A over Eo Lowen Rendon and Mary Desiree Serafa and Samson Orlanes and Edel Mae Medalle. Kevin Miñoza and Rodah Mae Fernandez, another youthful duo, bagged the Latin Youth A title over fellow DTCC members Eo Rendon and Seraga and Inoue and Velez. Winners The other winners are Norwille Damasin and Karen Francisco, John Rey Escartin and Floralyn Lagario and Rodel Espinosa and Marinette Alarilla in the Grade B Latin; German Enriquez and Rowena Balonzo, Jurante Cordero and Jeanfer Salas and Kristian Sese and Elvira Yulo in the Grade B standard. The other winners are (Standard Juvenile) Klein and Kathlene Deluvio (Standard Junior E) Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda; (Standard Junior C) Aunzo-Cañeda (Standard Youth) Samson Orlanes and Medalle Edel; (Standard Junior Barangay-based) June Tejano and Sharhyn Bontuyan; (Standard Special Event 1M) Christopher Corro and Karla Fornolles; Standard Special Event 2M (Tan Wan Wong and Liew Sue Yun); (Standard Special Event Pro-Am1) Edgar Borromeo and Tina Nguyen; (Standard Sp Event 2F) Eric Labita and Eng Ai Lim; (Standard Senior E) Johannes Suryajaya and Juliati Djuanda; (Standard Senior C). The other winners are Marvin Abao-Melanie Smith (Standard Adult), Edgar Borromeo and Tina Nguyen (Standard Pro-Am 3), Bo Wang and Lan LAn Chong (Standard Adult C), and Leong Keng and Lao Da Silva (Standard Senior A). - Sun.Star