Karate fails to sustain momentum

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — The dreams that karatedo wanted to build around a bunch of rookies crumbled like castles in the sand as one came home with a bronze and three Filipinos limped home in the early rounds after a smashing start in karatedo competitions in the 21st Southeast Asian Games here yesterday.

Karatedo failed to make a grand followup to its two-gold medal performance the other day as its rookies fell to more seasoned rivals in three divisions yesterday at the Bangi multi-purpose hall.

Only veteran Maricar Rimando won a medal, a bronze, with a bye in the quarterfinal round.

Vietnamese Ha Thi Kieu Turang pulverized Cherli Tugday, 7-0, in the quarterfinals of the 60 kg kumite for women before she bowed to Malaysian Prem ilia D/.O Supramaniam, 4-1, in the semifinals The Malaysian went on to win the gold over Myanmar’s Ni Ni Cho The, 4-1.

Peter Cardona, also competing here for the first time, was easy prey to Malaysia’s Kong Tai Moon, 0-4, in the first round of the 65 kg kumite. The Malaysian also advanced to the finals where he lost to Indonesia’s M. Hasan Basri, 8-2.

Another first round loser was rookie Ernesto Halili, who bowed to Laotian Outhavong Phathammavong, 2-6, in the 60 kg men’s kumite. Indonesian Arief Taufan Syamsuddin edged Halili’s tormentor in the finals, 9-8.

After two days of competition, the national karatekas had a 2-1 gold-bronze medal output going into today’s competitions where four more golds are at stake.