Realista beats Manalo in lightweight semis

Cebu’s Michael Angelo Realista shocked defending champion Carlo Manalo of Team Delta to barge into the junior men’s lightweight finals of Samsung’s Best of the Best taekwondo championships Thursday at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

Stalking Manalo throughout their three-round fight, Realista won by superiority after their bout ended in a 2-2 tie to arrange a title showdown with Teamsports’ Zaldy Bautista Jr.

Three other gold medalists last year —welterweight Brix Ramos, lightweight Sarah Joy Arellano and middleweight Esther Marie Singson — hurdled their respective rivals to remain in the title hunt.

Ramos proved too much for DPS’ Mad Palma, winning 6-0. He will meet UST’s Gershon Bautista in tomorrow’s finals of the tourney organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association, managed by IMG, sponsored by Samsung and supported by Philippine Star, Accel, Colours, Kix, Ayala Center and 103.5 K Lite.

Arellano, gold medalist in the New Face of the Year and bronze winner in the all-women’s championships early this year, beat Dragon Heart’s Lilac Mangondili, 4-2, while Singson, gold medalist in the all-women’s competition, outclassed Mhiezle Khae Crumrine, 6-2.

Arellano will face Bulacan’s Karen Ong, 7-3 victor over Russelle Jean Zamora, while Singson will go up against Jan Pacquing, 5-2 winner over Trisha Jane Galang.

The other final matches pit:

Junior men — Rolly Pentecostes vs Raymond Abellar, fin; and Kerwin Ong vs Christopher Estacion, middle.

Junior women — Kathleen Roble vs Kharzma Handang, bantam; Aphrodite Brillantes vs Karra Ramoneda, feather; and Kristie Elaine Alora vs Kathleen Valenzuela, welter.

All final matches, including those in the ongoing children’s boys and girls competitions, will be staged tomorrow.