Decatus bags taekwondo jr flyweight title

US Open bronze medalist Gerrielyn Decatus outsteadied Clark Field’s Irene Parker to eke out a 4-3 victory and bag the junior women’s flyweight gold in the Samsung Best of the Best taekwondo championships which ended Sunday at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

It was the second gold for Decatus in the prestigious tourney in two years. Last year, the 16-year-old St. Anthony High senior ruled the bantam class but she had to shed off some pounds to compete in a lighter weight category.

US and Korea Open champion Esther Marie Singson successfully defended her middle crown, while Sarah Joy Arellano, winner in the feather division last year, claimed the gold in the higher light category.

Singson routed Jan Ross Pacquing, 8-3, while Arellano whipped Karen Ong, 4-0.

Junior men’s feather Jeffrey Figueroa came back from a two-year lull to down Zamboanga’s Nolene delos Reyes, 4-2, in one of the exciting final matches in the tourney organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association, managed by IMG, sponsored by Samsung and supported by Philippine Star, Accel, Kix, Colours, Ayala Center and 103.5 K Lite