Tipon aims to nail 3rd RP gold

DOHA - Joan Tipon takes crack at the boxing gold medal, the national archers try to find their mark in team play while diver Zardo Domenios and Niño Carog seek spots in the final of the 3m springboard in Day 13 of the Asian Games Wednesday here.

Having disposed of Athens Olympics silver medalist Worapoj Petchkoom in the semis Monday, focus will be on Tipon, a rookie Asian Gamer who has fought like a veteran campaigner to reach the championship round of the bantamweight division.

But he is faced with the daunting task of hurdling a tough Korean rival in Han Soon Chul, who is also going all out to put an end to the Filipino fighter’s remarkable run in the keenly-awaited match starting at 2:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. in Manila).

Over at the Luseil Archery Range, Jasmin Figueroa, Rachelle Anne Cabral and Katherine Santos see action against Kazakhstan in the women’s team event while the troika of Mark Javier, Marvin Cordero and Paul dela Cruz take on their counterparts from Qatar in the round of 16 matches in team event in archery.

With Sheila Mae Perez out on injury, Domenios, who with Ryan Fabriga finished fourth in synchronized 10m platform, tries his luck in the 3m springboard prelims together with Carog starting at 11:15 a.m. at the Hamad Aquatic Centre.

Improving its medal haul to two golds, four silvers and seven bronzes on Violito Payla’s victory in boxing, Team RP now appears on target to matching its three-gold harvest in the 14th Asiad in Busan four years ago.

The remaining RP bets are sure to fight to the end, including wushu players Willy Wang, Janice Hung and Kenneth Lim, who are to see action at the Aspire Hall 3; Norwell Cajes and Marvin Amposta in canoe/kayak at the West Bay Lagoon; and the sabre fencing squad which is pitted against Iran at the Al-Arabi Indoor Hall. — Dante Navarro