RP juniors flounder in Asian X Games

KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippines junior action athletes found the opposition too tough and classy as they settled for two fifth-place finishes at the close of the ESPN Junior X-Games presented by Toyota at the Persiaran KLCC grounds here Tuesday.

Joanne Songalia, a sturdy 14-year-old bet from Bacolod, actually took the bronze in speedclimbing but faltered in bouldering and placed fifth overall in the sportclimbing event.

Songalia had eight demerits overall, five more than Elizabeth Hall of Australia, who dominated the event exclusively for 14 years old and below. Korean Kim Ja-in beat Chinese Shengju Wei for second after both finished with identical six demerit points.

Edmund Vega, 14, likewise wound up fifth in skateboarding ruled by another Australian as the bets from Down Under lived up to their billing by topping three of the five events disputed under the scorching heat.

John Ruega, another Filipino bet, finished seventh in the sport climbing for boys.

Despite the Pinoys’ mediocre showing, team manager and coach Mark Schultz lauded his wards’ performance, saying this nevertheless gave them the kind of exposure they need to hone up their skills and talent.

Although the Aussies dominated the junior division of this two-class category event, the hosts proved to be a force to reckon with as they swept the top three places in the bicycle stunt.

Shahriman Rusdee led the attack with 22 points while Md Fauzi Salleh and Siraj Atan finished second and third, respectively, in the event which drew some 70 action junior athletes from 11 countries.

Meanwhile, action in the keenly-awaited Asian X Games Qualifier IV got underway yesterday with nine Filipinos chasing final berths in different events.

Schultz leads the Pinoys bid in the BMX flatland along with Laurence Davila and Jorge Baguir.

Other Filipinos seeing action are Anselm Castaneda and Christopher Amowas in skateboard and Rogelio Yangco, Noel Cosinas and Benjie Estanislao in the inline-rollerblades.

At stake in the Asian X Games Qualifier are berths in the Summer Games slated Aug. 12-22 this year in Pennsylvania.