Valda cops RP’s second gold

Marcus Araneta Valda snatched his second gold medal in the IV Southeast Asian Wrestling Championship at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall yesterday to boost his chances of earning a berth in the Team Philippines to the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

Valda, whose knee was operated on only five weeks ago, outclassed Ho Si Ninh, runner-up to Valda in the Greco-Roman 96kg category, 10-1, to wind up with a perfect slate of eight victories with no loss over four days of hostilities.

Converted to wrestling only four weeks back, Valda, a student at De La Salle University, was a silver medalist in a national judo open despite sporting just a white belt.

Tran Van Son (51 kg class) of Vietnam was the only other competitor to equal Valda’s feat.

Busan-bound Francis Villanueva, winner of two gold medals in the 2000 SEAWC and beaten by teammate Kirk Go for the gold in Greco-Roman earlier, grabbed the gold in the 120kg category at the expense of Indonesia’s Antoni Timbul.

Jimmy Angana, 2000 SEAWC double silver medalist, finally became a champion (60kg), thrashing Vietnam’s Phang Due Thong on points.

Comebacking Cristine Villanueva displayed the form that netted her the bronze medals in the 1996 and 1997 Asian Wrestling Championships, making mincemeat of her opponents for Team Philippines’ eighth gold.

Team Philippines coach Mongolia Lodoi Enkhbayar had predicted his charges were good for at least seven gold medals.

The harvest of Team Philippines was more than double of its three-gold showing in the last SEAWC.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit assisted by Wrestling Association of the Philippines and 2002 SEAWC organizing committee president, retired Army Brig. Manuel Ribo awarded the medals to the freestyle winners.