MEDAL-wise, things are looking up for Team Philippines in the 10th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (Wekaf), but questions and tempers rose as foreign judges and Filipino fighters could not see eye to eye in a controversy-marred second day at the Ayala Activity Center yesterday.
The RP team managed to salvage five more gold medals to improve its haul of 25 golds with five silvers and one bronze at press time yesterday. Defending champion US is second with a 15-13-4 gold-silver-bronze medal haul.
Yesterday was one of those rare moments when the voices of Filipino supporters rang louder than that of the foreigners’.
However, they had to face disappointing rulings.
“I think they do not want Filipino fighters to win,” said RP trainer Val Pableo.
Yesterday, Edgardo Bontuyan and Reynaldo Combati fell prey to what they perceive as biased verdict after losing their respective fights, which they claimed should have been the other way around.
Mandaue City’s Bontuyan managed to disarm his opponent in the third and in the extra round, but still lost.
“I disarmed him twice, I clobbered him but I still lost. He kept hitting my knee as if he is competing in judo,” Bontuyan said.
Later that day, Combati, backed by a partisan crowd also lost to a foreign bet.
“Wa’y klaro. My foe was about to give up, he was just backing up until the last round but he won. They said I had no defense, that I was just attacking and that’s why I lost,” Combati said.
Wekaf chairman emeritus Dionisio Cañete had been keeping to himself for two days but blew his top after Combati’s fight.
Cañete said he did not want to throw a fit on the judges because he does not want to make an impression that he is biased because those affected are Filipino fighters and the country is the host.
But he was not able to contain himself and scolded the judges.
Forms
“They have to be consistent,” was all Cañete said to the media.
Meanwhile, in the remaining forms events, RP team member and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Mylene Garson, added another first place to the team’s haul.
Garson, who was with Rochelle Quirol in winning the Seag gold in 2005 in the synchronized forms event. Quirol also won the gold in the forms competition of her division in the opening day.
Garson edged out world champion Yvonne Trigila of Australia by a hairline in the Women’s Single Stick Open contest.
Garson scored 9-3 for her performance, while Trigila scored nine points. Canada’s Sherry Ramos placed third.
In the sparring competition on the other hand, expat Scott Sleazak, who now banners Team Pinoy, collected two golds for the team.
It was a close call for Sleazak, who is an American. He won in the men’s 50 and up traditional singles forms with a 9.2 score over USA’s Keith Schuett, who had 9.1. Another American fighter Warlito Concepcion placed third after scoring nine points.
Sleazak won his second gold medal in the sparring competition, beating USA’s David Hoover via a unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, Cesario Perez also put up a unanimous win in the men’s flyweight division over compatriot Marcelo Cereno.
Jigger Cruz of Norway placed third.
The other gold medal came from the Men’s Light featherweight division courtesy of John Eric Mosqueda, who defeated countryman Jumar Opigal. (MCB)
