With that great resolve to win and not to mention their long, serious preparation for the Games, the RP karatekas are among the Philippine bets expected to make a big turnaround from a forgettable showing in Brunei although they admitted Malaysia and Vietnam are still the teams to beat for the overall crown in their event.
RP karatedo team coach David Lay said they set a modest goal of a three-gold harvest even as he personally feels he has gold medal prospects in seven individuals outside of his men’s kata team.
The most high-profiled karatedo bet is Ryan Bonifacio Mariano, who’s returning to the Games determined to win the potential third gold medal which slipped in his hands in 1999 because of the dengue fever which he suffered a week before the RP delegation left for Brunei.
Mariano, an AB Humanities graduate from La Salle, actually still competed in the 1999 Games as he flew to Brunei without medical clearance from Manila. He barely made it to the medal round, salvaging the bronze medal.
"Nakawala ang sana ay third straight gold ko sa SEA Games. Pipilitin kong kunin ito dito," said Mariano, bannering the RP karatedo team which includes Maricar Rimando, Diane Moral, Cherli Tugday, Gretchen Malalad, Marna Pabilore, Ireneo Soriano, Ian George Jereos, Jerome Laplana, Khim Torres, Jose Marie Pabillore, Peter Cardona, Junel Ong Perania, Ernesto Halili, Reiner Ryan de Leon, Emerson Luz Malolos, Noel Espinosa and Paolo Veguillas. The RP kumite entries all sport a gold-colored hair to underscore their determination to win the gold.
In Brunei, the RP karatedo team barely avoided going home without a gold as Therese Nable topped the women’s kumite over-60 kg. category.
Nable isn’t here to defend her crown as she’s pregnant with her first child but coach Lay said the Philippines could well keep the title with the much-improved Gretchen Malalad.
"Gretchen was the only one from our team who went home from Brunei without a medal but she has shown dramatic improvement from there. In fact, in the Asian championships in Macau in the same year, she won bronze medals in the below 60 and ladies open categories," Lay said of the beauteous UST alumnae. "Ang ganda ang timing, maganda ang distance at magandang bumato ng sipa."
Lay said his other aces are Halili (below 60), Pabillore (over 80), Perana (below 70), Torres (below 80) and the kata team composed of Jereos, Espinosa and Malolos.