Friday, December 15, 2006 RP tops Busan feat, reaps 4 Dohan golds By Jaime E. Frias II Sun.Star correspondent
WUSHU fighter Rene Sornito Catalan pulled off a breakthrough win to give the Philippines its fourth gold medal in the 15th Asian Games in Doha yesterday, surpassing the country’s three-gold campaign in Busan, South Korea four years ago.
Fellow Filipino fighter Eduard Ayangwa Folayang yesterday added another silver also in the wushu event, which ended last night at the Aspire Hall 3.
The Philippines has reaped four gold medals, six silvers and nine bronze medals after 14 days of hostilities.
The 28-year-old Catalan, a gold medalist in the 2nd World Cup Wushu Championships in 2004, clinched the country’s fourth gold medal after beating Quoc Vinh Phan of Vietnam, 2-0, in the men’s -52 kg wushu sanshou finals.
Catalan, who is 17 centimeters shorter than the Vietnamese fighter, dominated in all rounds and logged 5-0 marks in each of the two rounds to clinch the gold.
Folayang settled for the silver medal after losing to the heavily favored Yanfei Xu of China, 2-0, in the men’s -70 kg wushu sanshou finals.
Takedown
The 24-year-old Fola-yang, who suffered a knee injury in 2004, absorbed one takedown in the first round and followed another takedown in the second to bow to the Chinese.
The country’s 4-6-9 (gold-silver-bronze) tally in Doha, surpassed its 3-7-17 medal finish at the 14th Asiad in Busan. The Doha meet ends today.
Aside from Catalan, the other Filipino athletes who bagged gold medals were boxers Violito Payla and Joan Tipon, and 9-Ball cue artist Antonio “Gaga” Gabica.
Gabica also won a silver in the 8-ball competition. The other silver medalists were Ma. Marna Pabillore (karate), Jeffrey de Luna (9-balls), Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoniette Rivero (Taekwondo).
Bronze athletes
Among the RP bronze medalists were Godfrey Castro and Genebert Basadre (boxing), Michael Eric Bibat (golf), Noel Espinosa (karate) Cecil Mamiit (tennis, singles), and Manuel Rivero Jr., Kathleen Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo (taekwondo). Mamiit won another bronze with Frederick Taino in the men’s tennis doubles.
At press time last night, the struggling RP chessers were still praying for a shut out victory against Turkmenistan in the ninth and final round in the mixed classical team play.
Though their positions were still shaky, the RP chess players can hope to land for third place and win a bronze with a sweep.
The RP woodpushers, bannered by International Masters Darwin Laylo and Ronald Dableo, and 14-year-old sensation Jedara Docena of Tagbilaran City, were at ninth place, following a shut out victory over Palestine in the penultimate eighth round to notch 13 points.
