Rising grappler Sophia Nicole Novino reached the Youth women's -47-kilogram division finals while three others bagged a bronze medal each for an encouraging start for the hosts in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium yesterday.
In just her first year in the Russian martial art, Novino took out her Vietnamese and Kyrgyzstan foes in impressive fashion, respectively, to enter the finals of her weight class in the meet organized by the Philippine Sambo Federation, Inc.
Jennelyn Tuñacao, Maria Tess Polistico and Princess Love Boyore had a bronzes apiece in the -72kg, -59kg and 54kg weight class each to usher in hostilities in the continental showcase held under the aegis of the National Sports Tourism Interagency Committee led by PSC chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio.
"Sobrang saya ko dahil ang goal ko lang po ay mag-play ng best ko," Novino, 17, a Grade 11 University of the East student, said of her modest aspirations entering the meet.
"Hindi ko naman ini-expect na makatuntong ako sa finals kaya kakayanin ko pong tapusin ng maganda and naumpisahan ko," added the athlete, who was set to battle a Kazakhstani for gold last night.
A UE varsity judo player, Novino disclosed that she was drawn to the combat sport because "maganda yung opportunity na binigay sa akin. Hindi naman nagkakalayo sa judo kaya nagpatuloy po ako sa sambo."
Underlining her potential in the sport, Novino disclosed that she won a gold in the -55kg category fighting a boy from Singapore in a competition held in the city state last May.
"Sabi ko, okay na lang na may kalaban ng hindi masayang ang pagpunta ko sa Singapore," she recalled, smiling.
Tuñacao, who is Novino's UE teammate, was also glad of getting a bronze in her first major international tournament although she believed she could have done better.
"Feel ko po may maibubuhos pa ako sa kalaban," the stocky campaigner, who was forced to tap out against a Kazakhstani foe.
"This is a good beginning for us in this tournament because the Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships is a tough competition and next only to the worlds," noted national sambo team coach Ace Larida.
"We can only look forward to doing better once we start competing in the senior division," Larida said. PR
