TUSOK BALITA ONLINE - A Publication of the National Darts Federation of the Philippines
    Updated April 30, 2015

DJ TONGCOPANON: Youngest Player to win an NDFP National Ranking Tournament

 Share on Facebook
 
 
The 1.5M Summer Darts Ratsada started auspiciously with a historic win of the youngest player ever to win an NDFP Major Ranking tournament ( 100K and over). Dolreich Tongcopanon, better known as DJ of Gensan-Robson, will be 20 years old in May 2015, won the Open Singles of the recently concluded Daragang Magayon – Bicol Dart Challenge IX in Legaspi City last April 19, 2015.

The 1.5M Summer Darts Ratsada is historic in its own right as the biggest quarter in Philippine darts with 11 Record Breaking Ranking Tournaments. 

Enroute to the finals, DJ beat Jay Malonzo 4-0, national ranked players Edward Santos 4-2, and Bong Gabiana 4-0.  In the semi-finals, DJ demolished Chris Salinas 4-1. In the other semi-finals match, Elmer Maranan of Sariyaya, Quezon and the winner of the NDFP Ranking Bualcan Open last October overcame a 0-3 deficit to beat Prussian Arcenio in four (4) straight legs. Elmer Maranan, a seasoned player in the 1990’s, came out of retirement few years ago and started his comeback to competitive darts in the NDFP Seniors Singles from where he regained his deadly form.

The championship match was clearly youth versus experience.  DJ raced to a 2-0 lead only to see Elmer overtake him with 3 straight legs. In the sixth leg, DJ evened the score with 3 legs a piece. Elmer went ahead to 4-3 and again DJ evened the score. In the final deciding leg, DJ, with a heart of a champion, checked out 47 left after Elmer missed a winning shot on Double 20.

Dj Tongcopanon is the product of Youth Singles in the NDFP Ranking Tournaments having won nine (9) Youth Singles championship staring with the T’inalak Open in 2012. DJ’s biggest Youth Singles win was in the Robson Summer Dartfest of 2013 in Sta Lucia Mall.  In January of 2014, DJ won his first Open Singles in the 50K Regional Halad Classic in Midsayap, Maguindanao. Last week, in the Little Arrows 50K Batangas Open, DJ went all the way to the championship match only to lose to National Master Noel Malicdem in the finals.

DJ is another testament to the continuing competitive players borne out of the NDFP Youth Singles of the NDFP Ranking Tournaments. The first champion of the Darterong Pinoy Youth Singles is Christian Perez, other competitive player who came out of the Darterong Pinoy Youth Singles Champions were EJ Rebollos, Roy Agustin, and JP de Tablan.  Paolo Nebrida is another NDFP Youth Singles champion but cut short his Youth Singles campaign to play in the Open Singles.

With the win of DJ from Gensan, the streak of wins by the Mindanao darters in the Open Singles of NDFP 2015 Major Ranking tournaments continues. We have seen so far the domination of the Mindanao darters with Christian Perez (Korondal) in the 300K Jay Harrow Santos Cup, Andy Villamor (Bukidnon) in the 100K Sibugay Open, Bong Gabiana (Bukidnon) in the 130K Araw ng Dabao, and Dixie Ybañez (CDO) in the 100K Panabenga Open in Baguio.

The darting community awaits with anticipation the upcoming 250K Resorts World Dart Championship, the P130K Gov Villafuerte Kaogma Festival, the 200K Summer Dartfest/Federation Cup, the 200K JRS Nagcarlan Open,  the 150K Pagadian Open, the 100K Gov Mercado Cup in Maasin, and the quarter ending 250K Mayor Romualdez Championship in Tacloban. Brace yourselves to a very exciting and cash-laden quarter ever – the 1.5M Summer Darts Ratsada brought to you by the NDFP.