Jins reel from Thai blitz, bag silver, 2 bronzes

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – Thailand sustained its SEAG taekwondo blitzkrieg amidst protests on dubious judging, leaving crumbs for the rest, including the Philippines which snared a silver and two bronzes in the final day of action here yesterday.

Loraine Lorelie Catalan earned the silver in the -51kg category while Carlos Jose Padilla and Kathleen Eunice Alora took bronzes in the -58kg and -47kg, respectively, giving the RP team a closing haul of one gold, four silvers and six bronzes.

Vietnam, the Philippines’ top rival for taekwondo supremacy in the region, was also reduced to second-rate jins by the Thais and their machinery as the hosts emerged the runaway overall champions with eight golds, three silvers and two bronzes.

Padilla and Alora were stopped on their tracks in the semifinals by Thai rivals Tha Tewawetchapong Nattapong and Puedpong Buttree, respectively, who went on to win gold.

Catalan dropped a very close match in the final against Malaysian Elaine Shueh Fhem Thoe, 2-3. She overwhelmed Myanmar’s Aye Aye Khine, 5-1, in the quarterfinals before drubbing Cambodian Chhoeun Putheanim, 5-2, in the semis.

John Paul Lizardo faced a Thai foe in Khawlaor Chutchwal in his opening match, absorbing a 0-2 defeat in the -54kg category.

Padilla toyed with Singaporean Jason Ong, 4-0, and Alora made mincemeat of Vietnamese Nguyan Thin Bich Ngoc, 3-0, in the quarterfinals.

The lone Filipino who pulled through with the gold medal was Olympic-bound Tshomlee Go.

Also settling for silver medals were another Olympic-bound bet Mary Antoinette Rivero, Kirstie Elaine Alora and Alexander Briones. Others pocketing bronzes were Esther Marie Singson, Veronica Domingo, Ma. Criselda Roxas and Ernesto Juan Mendoza III.

The team harvested six golds, five silvers and one bronze at home in 2005.