Abu dhabi: A former Laguna swimming club member secured his fourth medal after snagging a bronze in the men's 200-meter breaststroke in the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 (OMGAD) at Abu Dhabi Aquatics Club on Friday. Allen Edward Larua, who now works here, clocked 3 minutes and 16.52 seconds for his third bronze medal in the 25+ age category of the tournament sanctioned by the International Masters Games Association.
According to Philippines News Agency, Larua, who competed in six events, also secured a silver medal in the 1,500m open water swimming and bronze medals in the 400m freestyle and 100m breaststroke events. 'I'm very happy that, although we are no longer active in sports, we were given a chance to compete in this big tournament that is open to everyone,' he said.
In recreational table tennis, David Lo and John Suico, the gold medalists in the men's doubles, advanced to the finals of the men's singles 45+ event. Lo dominated Abner Divinagracia, 3-0, while Suico defeated Qaid Johar, 3-0, in the semifinals.
Jenet Rodriguez, also an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), made it to the finals of the recreational women's singles 30+ after a dominant performance against Aldhaheri Meerah of Abu Dhabi, 11-2, 11-1, 11-4.
In the elite class, John Gadores, one of the top Filipino contenders, failed to sustain a huge comeback from two sets down. He eventually lost his semifinal match against Ahmed Emam in the men's singles 35+ category. 'Sayang (Almost). But that's part of the game,' said Gadores, who is still hoping to secure a bronze medal against Harshit Ashok Kumar.
A basketball team composed of OFWs based in the United Arab Emirates, likewise, failed to advance to the semifinals after losing to taller Russian opponents, 44-60, in the quarterfinals.
