Karatekas deliver

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — Gretchen Malalad, the only karateka who went home from the 1999 Brunei SEA Games with no medal to show, and new karate sensation Jose Mari Pabillore won the Philippines’ first two golds as the rookie-laden national team launched its medal quest with a mighty show at the start of the karatedo championships in the 21st Southeast Asian Games here yesterday.

Malalad, whose career almost ended with a bad start in the Brunei Southeast Asian Games two years ago, produced a nerve-wracking victory at the expense of Indonesian Meity Johana Kaseger, 9-2, to win the gold in the 60kg class in women’s individual kumite.

Earlier, Pabilllore made good his debut in the SEA Games with a 3-1 triumph over Thailand’s Samsruan in the finals of the men’s individual kumite (+80Kg). He downed Malaysian Alexander Arlanthu, 5-4, in the semifinals.

Rising from a humbling debut in Brunei, Malalad picked up the pieces with a brave heart, and months later won two bronze medals – in her class and in the open division – in the Asian championships to earn the distinction as the country’s most improved karateka.

Going to the Malaysian Games, Malalad did not make the grade but was eventually tapped to play in her current division when Therese Nable, the 1999 SEA Games gold medal winner, married and retired from sports.

The twin victories provided the impetus for the Philippines’ campaign as it braced for a target 40-gold medal haul in eight days of competition for the 391-gold medals at stake in the biennial meet.

So far, the Filipinos have four silver and six bronze medals.

Jethro Dionisio, a former world speed shooting champion, bagged an individual silver and shared the team trap silver with Jaime Recio and Eric Ang, featherweight Kalindi Tamayo copped a silver in women’s taekwondo and wushu specialist Lily So scored 9.26 points to finish second in nanquan.

The bronze winners were taekwondo-jins Jasmin Strachan, bantamweight; Manuel Rivero Jr., bantamweight; and Jefferthom Go, featherweight; Noel Espinosa, men’s individual kata; and karatekas Marna Pabillore, -48 kilogram in women’s invididual kumite and Ryan Bonifacio in the —75 kg men’s kumite.

The tennisters also had a successful outing, beating their respective rivals at the start of the men’s and ladies’ team competition.

The Filipinos blasted Malaysia, 3-0, while the female counterparts also blanked Vietnam, 3-0.

But boxing suffered a big blow when Juanito Maliquian (45 kilograms) and Junie Tizon (71 kg) both lost to their Thai opponents.

Maliquian was outsteadied by Keaw Pongprayoon, 10-11, while Tizon was crushed by Dachabon Suwunaliro, 1-12.

"It was a good start. Our athletes did their best and gave us reason to hope that we would achieve our goals," said RP delegation chief of mission Godofredo Jalasco Jr. Before leaving, RP sports officials hope to improve their fifth overall finish in Brunei and double their 20-gold output.

"I’m sure our athletes were inspired by the presence of the First Gentleman (Mike Arroyo) and his promise of more incentives," noted Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit.

PSC Chairman Carlos Tuason echoed Dayrit’s view.

Boxing president Manny Lopez described his two boys’ loss as a "black Sunday" for RP boxing. "But we will definitely bounce back tomorrow (Monday). We have three boys fighting and expect all of them to win."