T’wondo off to good start with two medals

DOHA — With two bronze medals from four jins, taekwondo coach Stephen Fernandez said he could not have asked for a better start from his wards in the Asian Games at the Qatar Sports Club indoor hall here.

"Generally, it was a good start for us," said Fernandez, whose fielding in a 12-player roster in the event that has been the country’s source of pride in various international competitions.

Finweight John Paul Lizardo kicked off the campaign with back-to-back victories Thursday but could not sustain the pace late in the evening as he lost to Raheem Ebrahim of Bahrain, 1-3, in the quarterfinal round and bowed out of the medal race.

"He was too eager at naunahan siya," said Fernandez of the commercial model, who had beaten Ebrahim twice in their past bouts.

Next to fall was veteran Donald Geisler, who dropped a 3-6 setback to Thai Patiwat Thongsalap in their 72kg duel in the first round.

"There were points which we believed the judges were not able to see," said Fernandez about Geisler’s fight. "But we’re not complaining."

But things turned around after Kathleen Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo crashed into the medal round with victories in the quarters, thus assuring the Philippines of at least two bronze following the similar feat of Violito Payla in boxing earlier in the day.

But Alora gold medal drive fell short as she lost a heartbreaking 2-3 decision to Jingyu Wu of China and Domingo succumbed to Thai Chonnapas Premwaew and bowed out of the gold medal race with a 0-7 defeat.

But Fernandez offered no excuses for those defeats. — Dante Navarro