RP team karatekas shine in nat’l open

TAGUM CITY — National team standouts Bernardino Chu, Mae Eso and Irineo Toribio stamped their class in their respective events at the end of the 19th National Karate Open championships recently at the PB San Jose Gymnasium here.

Chu, of YDKA-Cagayan de Oro, bagged the gold in the -65 kg. men’s kumite category by beating Rolando Lagman of SKI-NCR in the final round.

Eso of SKI-Manila dominated the -53 kg. women’s kumite event against Angelica Saligan in the finals while Philippine Army standout Toribio topped the -60 kg. men’s kumite class after beating Cebuano karateka Jim Paredes.

Other winners in the tournament organized by Philippine Karate Federation (PKF) Region XI director Ernesto Tacay were Niño Franco (-55 kg. men’s kumite), Adorra Aquino  (-48 kg. women’s kumite), Salman Saad (men’s open weight kumite) and May Libao (women’s open weight kumite).

Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Cherli Tugday was the most bemedaled karateka in the two-day meet with 1 gold, 1 silver at 1 bronze.

The 26-year-old Tugday, who won a bronze alongside Gretchen Malalad in the 2002 Busan Asian Games, placed third behind Libao and Anisa Pangcoga in the women’s open weight event. She also emerged as the champion in the -60 kg. kumite event while placing second in the individual kata event.

"I’m happy about the results we got because all members of the team qualified again, thanks to the training of our coach, David Lay," said Malalad, who is already seeded to the national team, along with fellow SEAG gold medalists Marna Pabillore and Nelson Pacalso.

 "We also found new potentials who could further strengthen the national karate team and we will prepare very hard for the world karate federation championships and the Asian Games," added Malalad.

     The winners will still under go stringent evaluations regularly to determine who will be included in the national team to the World Championships in Finland slated in November and to the Doha, Qatar, Asian Games in December.

     National karate head Ed Ponce thanked PSC commissioner Leon Montemayor, Davao del Norte Gov. Gelacio P. Gementiza and Vice Gov. Anthony del Rosario, Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy and ABC president Ernest Obrero of Barangay Magugpo, Poblacion for their support of the successful staging of the tournament