Air Force wrestlers gain seven golds over Army

Philippine Air Force wrestlers dethroned Philippine Army in the season-ending Armed Forces of the Philippines-PNP Olympics at the Rizal Memorial wrestling gym yesterday.

The Airmen who matched the four-gold and three-silver medal production of their arch rivals but two bronzes down at the end

of the Greco-Roman action, finished off the Army men by ruling seven of the nine weight categories on tap in the freestyle, conceding to the erstwhile champion the remaining two golds.

Philippine Navy could only manage to snatch a single gold.

Busan Asian Games veterans Jimmy Angana (59kg) and Francis Villanueva (120kg), and

Antonio Esteban (76kg)

powered PAF with their two-gold medal showing.

This year most outstanding grappler, Marcus Valda (97kg), also an Asian Gamer, and Renerio Rapisora (55kg) contributed two gold medals each to PA’s losing cause.

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Manuel Ribo, president of the organizing Wrestling Association of the Philippines, bared the two-day meet serves as the main basis for the selection of the national team for the 2003 Southeast Asian Games.

Rounding out the gold-medal winners were: PAF-Violeto Agustin (FS 51 kg), Roque Mana-ay (FS 64kg), Alvin Aragon (GR 69kg), Luis Ansag (FS 69kg) and John Esteban (FS 65kg); PA-Roy Camposano (GR 51kg) and Michael Baletin (GR 85kg); and PN-Melchor Tumasis (GR 64kg).