Lampacan falls short in muay bid in Arafura Games

MANILA, Philippines – Ariel Lee Lampacan dropped a 27-30 setback to Thai Sakchai Chamchit and settled for silver in muay competitions of the Arafura Games at the Darwin Convention Center in Darwin, Australia Wednesday.

Lampacan, 21, had hoped to clinch the gold to boost his bid to qualify for the 2021 World Games but failed to neutralize the Thai bet in their senior male Elite A 54-kg duel.

“I’ll just try to rebound in the World Championship (next month). I’ll train hard, toughen up and polish my moves,” said Lampacan, one of the four national muay athletes sent by the Philippine Sports Commission and Standard Insurance.

The Philippines now has 30 golds, 48 silvers, and 28 bronzes heading to the last two days of the Games’ revival.

In volleyball, Tagum City natives Hachaliah Gilbuena and Johnrel Amora bucked their tall Australian rivals and pulled off a 21-12, 21-13 victory to clinch a spot in the round of 16 after sweeping their two matches in Pool D.

Amora is teaming up with Gilbuena in an international competition for the first time but has been his partner since their college days at University of Mindanao-Tagum. 

The men’s doubles sepak takraw team of Dominic James Sagosoy, Aljon Ypon and Jundy Puton from Davao City, meanwhile, defeated Australia B in straight sets to sweep pool play with a 4-0 win-loss record.

The semifinals and finals of the sepak takraw doubles competition were being played at presstime.

In men’s basketball, Leomer Losentes shot 35 points as the Philippines trounced New Caledonia, 86-75, for its second straight win at the Darwin Basketball Stadium. The Filipinos were playing their counterparts from Johor, Malaysia at presstime.