Zipagan sweeps 4 karate golds

CEBU, Philippines  – Diminutive Prince Andreen Zipagan swept his four junior events as he anchored Team Philippines’ remarkable campaign in the second ISK World Shoto Cup Karate Championships at the Waterfront Hotel grand ballroom here Saturday.

The 5-foot-4 Zipagan became the tournament’s toast after capturing the 16-17 boys individual kata and kumite titles and then anchored the hometown bets to another golden double in the team kata and kumite championships.

The 16-year-old BS Accounting UST freshman’s feats capped a big day for the Filipino junior karatekas, who bagged 16 gold, 14 silver and eight bronze medals overall in the event sanctioned by International Shotokan Sports Federation and supported by Smart, Unilever and Gatorade.

“I’m very happy with these gold medals because I didn’t expect to win this much,” said Zipagan, who has been training for the last nine years at the Karate Development Arts and Sports Club headed by national coach David Lay, the ISKF country director for the Philippines, in Filipino.

Zipagan was at his best in the individual kumite finals as he beat taller Canadian Victor So, 2-0, highlighted by a lightning-fast right punch to the chest and then with a left reverse punch to the stomach with still 30 seconds to go in the two-minute fight.

Together with Alexander Lay, a double gold medalist in the 12-13 boys kumite and kata, and Orly Banagua, the Filipinos bagged the gold in the junior team kata with a tally of 18.7 points, relegating Argentina and the US to the silver and bronze, respectively.

Zipagan, John Paul Bejar and Rommil Orenciana outpointed Argentina, 2-1, in the finals to bag the kumite gold.

In the girls 16-17 division, Francesa Lim secured the individual kata gold while Marimar Fontillas took the kumite gold while Lim, Fontillas and Camaich Lao shut out Argentina, 3-0, in the finals to capture the girls kumite gold.

Still fighting for honors was Fil-Am national bet OJ delos Santos, whose family traces its roots to this progressive city, after qualifying in the finals of the men’s individual kata contest last Saturday.

Delos Santos was set to dispute the gold against three Americans at the close of the competitions scheduled late yesterday.

Gracing the close of the two-day event was Philippine Karatedo Federation president Joey Romasanta and Smart Sports executive Epok Quimpo.

Romasanta praised the local organizers led by Lay and PKF secretary Raymund Reyes for staging a world-class competition which has been drawing raves from most, if not all, of the athletes and officials of the 15 countries taking part in the event.