By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Wrestling, other sports continue to improve
WHILE traditional medal hopeful sports like wrestling, weightlifting and swimming continued to improve and more athletes beginning to showcase their talents, several sports disciplines like billiards, badminton, chess, judo are attracting more youth.
The following is the conclusion of a three-part series of articles for Palau sports in 2006.
Still fishing derby is the main passion for locals.
Swimming
The five-member local swimming team that went to Saiapn for two separate events gained a lot of experience The swimmers are Osisang Chilton, Rimuu Williams, Antja Flowers, Maria Gibbons and Evelyn Otto, who all had competed at the 2006 Saipan International Swim Meet March 17-19.
Otto and Isao Misech are scheduled to compete in the upcoming FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) World Championships in Shanghai, China.
Then Misech saved Palau from near shutout as he won a bronze medal in the just concluded Japan International Invitational Swimming Tournament in Tokyo.
The 14-year old Misech clocked two minutes and 56.15 seconds in the 200m backstroke (13-14) years age group category) for third place.
Table Tennis
Sophomore students Carson Mesubed and Dilmowais Rechirei defeated their respective rivals in the boys and girls divisions, respectively, to emerge as champions in the First Mindszenty High School 2005-2006 Table Tennis Singles Championship.
SOME 34 students of Ngiwal Elementary School have completed the beginner’s level course of the Tops Table Tennis in School Program sponsored by the Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) and organized by the Belau Table Tennis Association on March 23-25.
Volleyball
Palau Pacific Resort captured the title in the first Palau Paradise Lions Club by edging out the Lady Jaguars, 20-25, 15-25, 25-23, 26-24, 16-14, and took most of the individual awards, including the most valuable player that went to Jaime Ngirausui.
Wrestling
The four-man Palau delegation that competed in the 2006 Oceania Wrestling Championships held in Queensland, Australia brought home a total of 11 medals including two gold courtesy of top athlete awardee Elgin ‘Tulop’ Elwais.
The other medals were won by Sean Lund (two silvers and two bronzes), Froilan Gibbons (one silver and one bronze) and Froilan Skilang Temengil (three silvers and one bronze).
That sparked the locals’ sterling performance in the two-day event held on April 29-30 at the Super Sports Centre Runway Bay in Queensland, Australia.
Elwais became the first Palauan to qualify for an Olympic scholarship, which would be an opportunity for him for a crack of a possible gold medal in the Beijing 2008 Summer Games.
Weightlifting
The Palau weightlifting team that competed in the Oceania, South Pacific and Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Fiji grabbed a total of 12 medals, eight of them were gold.
The locals also bagged one more silver and three bronze medals as the girls’ team dominated the event.
Chess
Florencio Campomanes, the honorary president of the Federation Internationale Des Echecs (FIDE) visited Palau May 12-14 to personally confirm that the Palau Chess Federation (PCF) has been accepted full membership with the world’s governing body in chess.
Campomanes, who was President of FIDE for 14 years until his replacement in 1982, met with PCF chairman Francis ‘Sno’ Temaungil through Knights and Rooks Chess Club chairman Roberto Hernandez and Gene Pastrana on May 12 at the Palau Royal Resort.
Hilton Bennett won the title in inaugural edition of the Palau International Invitational Chess Championships.
Bennett finished with seven points built around five wins, and four draws and no loss after nine games in this single round robin tournament sanctioned by FIDE.
Badminton
Bernadel Enriquez swept the ladies singles, ladies doubles and mixed doubles in the fisrt Vice President’s Badminton Cup held Dec. at the PNG.
Billiards
An employee from Koror State, Shidler Techur, won the well-participated 8-Ball Billiards Tournament sponsored by Shimbros at the Q-Ball and served as a fundraising campaign for Team Palau in Volleyball that were preparing for the Micronesian Games.
Judo
Brian James R.M. of Seventh Day Adventist and Cassiton Adelbai of Koror Elementary School beat their opponents in the finals and became champions in their respective categories of the First Judo Junior Tournament.
In the lower grade category, Adelbai went on to defeat Kaito Fuji of Maris Stella while Ryan Utemai and Adriann John D., both of SDA, finished third.In team competition, the foursome (Team C) of Aoi Taiko, Chance O. Demei and Kaito Taiko came first place while Team A’s Brian James, Cassiton Adelbai, Yosuke Taniguchi and Ryan Utemei were second.Team D’s Blessam Jarvivis Tarkong, jasper John P. Sicat, Kaito Fuji and Trojnald Renz D. R. settled for third place.CUSTOMS Chief and wrestling champion John Tarkong Jr. prevailed over Bradley Rimiirch in a closely fought final match in last Sunday’s first open judo tournament.
Fishing Derby
Fifty Seven Teams participated in the fifth annual derby presented by PNCC Wireless on Saturday, Agust 26.Captain Jonathan Eberdong’s team took the first place in the Jacks and Trevallies category with a 29.5 pound Erobk Giant Trevally, winning the Kobayashi Cup and a $4,000 prize. Sam Masang won $2,000 for submitting 130 pounds in the billfish category. Director Adalbert Eldui of the Koror State Ranger Office completed a back-to-back win in 11th Annual Rotary Club of Palau Fishing Derby as he submitted the biggest catch of billfish that weighed 63 kilos (138.6 lbs).