Pabalate leads 'Battle of Best' muay winners

CEBU, Philippines - Former Asian champion Romnnick Pabalate of Dumaguete City outpointed 2008 World Muaythai Championship gold medalist Roland Claro of Zamboanga City in a close match to lead the winners in the Battle of the Best at the Rizal Park last Sunday.

Pabalate looms as the country’s best bet for gold medal in the first Asian Martial Arts Games (AMAG) slated Aug. 1-8 in Bangkok, according to Red Dumuk, Muaythai Association of the Philippines officer-in-charge and secretary general.

Baguio City’s Zaidi Laruan, silver and bronze medalist in the last two SEA Games, upended Zamboanga City’s Jay Harold Gregorio, last year’s World Muaythai Championship losing finalist.

Laruan, who earlier won all his three 2009 Battle of the Best assignments, and Gregorio are also seeing action in the AMAG event.

Thai Ambassador to the Philippines Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhaya and Thailand’s Minister of Culture Thera Salakpetch graced the MAP’s blue-ribbon event, a highlight of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Philippine-Thai diplomatic relations.

Khun Siripong Phoungpaka, president of PTT Philippines Corp. which along with the Royal Thai Embassy presented the Battle of the Best supported by various Thai companies and the City of Manila, awarded the prizes to the winners.

AMAG-bound May Libao, and Ana Marie Rey scored knockout victories over Janelyn Sevillano of Misamis Oriental and Preciosa Ocaya of Calamba, Laguna, respectively, while another AMAG campaigner Maricel Subang outclassed Krisna Limbaga of Dumaguete City.