Pinay jins snare two bronzes

DOHA — Taekwondo jins Kathleen Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo captured bronzes last Thursday night as the Philippines broke into the medal table then rookies Godfrey Castro and Joan Tipon sustained the boxers’ charge to the medal round with impressive wins in the quarterfinals in Day Eight of the 15th Asian Games here.

Alora and Domingo ended the Philippines’ dry spell, long after its SEA Games rivals Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and even Myanmar had barged into the medal column.

A 2005 Southeast Asian Games silver medallist, Alora earned her precious medal in the women’s 47-kilogram category while Domingo bagged hers in the 63-kilogram class.

The 19-year-old Alora came tantalizingly close to advancing to the championship round but dropped a close 0-1 decision in the semifinals to eventual champion Wu Jing Yu of China. Domingo drew a bye then trumped Libya’s Carina Hamoud, 5-1, in the quarters but took a 0-7 beating to Thailand’s Premwnew Chonnapas in the semis.

Castro and Tipon pulled off victories in varying fashions to assure the Philippines of its third bronze in boxing.

Three days after debuting big time with a referee stopped contest-outscored win over Malaysian Azizi Mohamad, the 21-year-old Castro registered another short victory, this time putting away Ali Saad Al Ahmry of Saudi Arabia in 48 seconds of the second round to advance to the semifinals of the lightfly division at the Aspire Hall 5.

Five fights later, the wily Tipon recovered from a jittery start and a 5-6 deficit after the first round, battling North Korean Kim Won Guk in a fiery exchange in the second before seizing control with his right hooks and body shots in the third round to go up, 18-12.

Losing steam, Tipon tried to fight at a distance, thwarting the visibly angry Korean with punches that came from all over. As Kim tried to pin him on the ropes and engage him at center, Tipon would dance away, circling around his rival with arms held high and frustrating the Korean no end.

Castro and Tipon thus joined flyweight Violito Payla in the semis.

But Castro, a replacement for Busan Asian Games silver medalist Harry Tañamor, and Tipon, winner of two international tournaments this year, will have a pair of Thais as their rivals in the semis on Monday with the former taking on Suban Pannon and the latter clashing with Worapoj Petchkoom in the bantamweight division.

"I believe God has given me all the breaks. First being a replacement for Tañamor, then all these wins," said Castro. "My mind is set to win for the country."

Pannon toyed with Ali Najah of Iraq, 30-21, while Petchkoom scored an RSC-O win over Adel Chakeri of Qatar in the third round.

Filipino jins Lorelie Catalan and Juan Ernesto Mendoza III lost their opening bouts later in the day.

The RP team medal drive has indeed picked up halfway through the Games after around 250 gold medals disputed in seven days .

Jay Bayron sizzled with a four-under par 68 at the Doha Golf Club and stood in second place in the individual competition with the RP squad in fifth in team play with a 211, six shots behind Korea and Taiwan, which both shot a 205.

The ladies, however, groped for form with a 144, also for fifth, with Cyna Rodriguez starring with a two-under 71 for seventh in individual play as Dottie Ardina struggled with a 79, six over at the par-73 women’s layout. Japan showed the way in the ladies team event with a 135 while Korea and Taiwan were tied at 137 and China two behind with 139.

The RP cue artists rolled through the first round of the 8-ball in emphatic fashions as Leonardo Andam joined compatriot Antonio Gabica with a 9-2 rout over Vietnam’s Hoang Lam Nguyen while Rubilen Amit whipped India’s Chitra Smagi, 7-2.

Gabica blasted Mongolian G. Baatarchuluun, 9-1, Thursday.

In athletics, Henry Dagmil and Joebert Delicano placed second in their respective heats and made it to the final of the long jump set at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Khalifa Stadium.

Dagmil leapt to 7.78 meters while Delicano registered 7.66m, both on their second attempts.

The other RP bets set to see action Friday were still in the thick of the elims at presstime with Arniel Ferrera in the men’s hammer throw, Ernie Candelario and Julius Nierras in the 400m run and Rene Herrera in the 3,000m steeplechase.

But RP badly lost the battle in other fronts.

Just 59 pins off the leader in fourth place after the first block of the women’s five-player team final in bowling, the Philippines wound up fifth and out of the medal podium as Liza del Rosario, Irene Garcia, Daisy Posadas, Liza Clutario and Jojo Canare pooled a 2940 for a six-game series of 6010.

Malaysia ruled the sport for its third gold medal, finishing with a 6555 as it beat Korea and Singapore, which had 6316 and 6239, respectively. China even beat RP for fourth with 6074.

With its gold medal chances slipping each passing day, the Philippines hope for a medal in the sport, which produced one gold in the Busan Asiad in 2002, rests on the fivesome of Paeng Nepomuceno, Markwin Tee, CJ Suarez, Chester King and Biboy Rivera.

They are currently in third behind Korea and Qatar heading into the final block set late Friday afternoon.

In bodybuilding, Dick Takiban finished 11th in a field of 15 in the -60kg pre-judging while Ricky Posas wound up 3th in the -65kg pre-judging. Both didn’t make it to the final of their respective divisions.