Medals welcome bonus for typhoon-hit karatekas

NAY PYI TAW – The gold-silver-bronze medals won by Filipino karatekas at the close of the Southeast Asian Games karatedo competitions have some significance – for their intrinsic value and the incentives these would bring their families devastated by the recent super typhoon Yolanda.

Niño Franco, an education graduate from Holy Spirit in Tacloban, won the gold medal in the 55kg class in individual kumite in his third SEAG stint.

“I am going to use the incentive (P150,000) to help repair our house,” said Franco, whose house in Tacloban was half underwater during the storm surge.

The gold was first and last for the nine-member karatedo team – one in kata (form) and eight in kumite (sparring) – which ended its participation in the sport yesterday.

Joan Mae Ylanan, a criminology graduate from Leyte Colleges in Tacloban, earned the silver in the 68 kg class in women’s kumite.

Mae Soriano, also from Tacloban, won the bronze in the 55kg women’s kumite in her fourth SEA Games.

“Our house was not destroyed because it was a bit farther from the (center of the) downfall but our appliances were damaged,” Soriano said.

Alejandro Enrico Vasquez, a seventh blackbelt who was installed president of the Philippine Karatedo Federation, said the performance of the lean team augurs well for Philippine karatedo which he vows to develop on a nationwide scale with support from the Philippine Sports Commission.

The team got a boost in its training when it sparred with Olympic karatekas from Iran and competed in the Military Games in their recent stay in Iran.

He said the problem bogging the association following a crisis in leadership has “subsided” and hopes to get its sports program off the launching pad next month.

The association currently has a meager pool of 24, which it hopes to expand through its nationwide grassroots program.