GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- “May gin-aman gid ang Ginoo para sa akon (God has really set aside one for me).”
An ecstatic Nathaniel Morales of Soccsksargen made this declaration after clinching the region’s second gold medal in athletics in the 2018 Palarong Pambansa in Vigan City on Friday.
The long distance athlete clocked 4:07.79 to outlast the closest runners from Western Visayas and Calabarzon in the 1,500-meter run secondary boys’ finals.
On Thursday, sprinter Kenneth Corpuz gave Soccsksargen its first athletics gold medal in the 400-meter run.
Morales redeemed himself after failing to land a medal in his first two events in steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run.
Hampered by a leg injury, he did not even finish the initial heat in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, an event where he was initially expected to contend for the gold medal.
Adding to his woes was the pressure to win a medal in the event after getting a bronze in the 2017 Palaro in Antique, he said.
He again tried his luck in the 5,000-meter run but only managed to finish seventh in the final race.
Despite the twin setbacks, the 17-year-old Morales said he did not lose hope in his quest to his first Palaro gold medal.
“I learned that it is important to not lose hope if success is not achieved outright,” he said.
Morales, an incoming Grade 12 student of the Libertad National High School in Surallah town in South Cotabato, said this would be his final stint in the Palaro.
“It was a sweet win since it is my last Palaro,” said Morales, who is fondly called “Batok” by his family and friends.
He said he gained the nickname, which is a Hiligaynon term for burned, due to his dark complexion that was made even worse by his almost daily exposure in the tracks.
With his gold medal performance, Morales stands to earn at least PHP30,000 in cash incentives from the Department of Education 12 (Soccsksargen), the provincial government of South Cotabato, and the Philippine Sports Commission.
He plans to augment such amount for the renovation of their home.
Last year, Morales used his incentives from the Palaro and the regional meet for the electrification and installation of a water system for their home. (PNA)
