BRUNEI -- The struggle is real for Mindanao-Philippines' taekwondo, wushu and karatedo teams who were denied the gold in the 10th BIMPNT-Eaga Friendship Games that officially closed here as of Sunday evening, December 9.
As of 1:15 a.m. official medal tally yesterday, excluding the Sunday events of wushu and taekwondo, the martial arts teams from Davao City settled for silvers and bronzes instead.
The city's karatedo team of Gabriel Quinones, Julian Ambrose Ramirez and Adrian Paul Ilaya accounted for bronze in men's team kata event while wushu's Lynter James Franco and brother Walros Joseph Franco got a silver and bronze, respectively, in men's male daoshu event at the Indoor Stadium.
Karatedo coach Rommel Tan, in a conversation with SunStar Davao, said the athletes did their best and performed really well but the judges seemed not to notice.
"We can't do anything about it anymore. That's how the judges scored our karatekas' performance. But I am still happy because I know and saw for myself that they did well. In kata, the athletes are just at the mercy of the judges unlike in kumite when you would clearly see who won in the fight," Tan said in the vernacular.
Over at the Sungai Kebun Sports Complex, Elah Janica Liwag collared a silver in women's individual poomsae while Juan Miguel Dalangin annexed a bronze in men's individual poomsae taekwondo.
The city's swimming team collected eight golds, nine silvers and seven bronzes while the athletics team nabbed one gold and two bronzes.
Mindanao, as of yesterday's medal tally at 1:15 a.m., was third with nine golds, nine silvers and 10 bronzes.
Sabah (19-13-20) has overtaken early leader Northern Territory (14-11-7).