Golden start for brave t'kwondo belles

JAKARTA – The Philippines outperformed Vietnam in an exciting showdown between two world champion poomsae teams then Maria Camille Manalo pulled off a triumphant debut in the combat side of the SEA Games taekwondo competitions at the POPKI Sport Hall here yesterday.

Vidal Marvin Gabriel teamed up with Shaneen Ched Sia for the mixed poomsae silver then returned later to pocket the poomsae individual bronze as the Filipino jins provided Team Pilipinas the needed spark with SEAG hostilities going full blast.

The trio of Ranni Ann Ortega, Francesca Camille Alarilla and Maria Carla Janice Lagman struck the first gold medal for the Filipinos in the Indon capital, showing up their Vietnamese archrivals in their high-profile duel.

“Fueled by pride, our ladies were able to prove who’s the better team; who’s the real world champs,” said coach Rocky Samson.

More graceful, elegant and synchronized, the Phl poomsae trio scored 8.26 points as against the Vietnamese’s 8.21.

“We’re really better,” said Samson of the Filipina poomsae trio, the 2009 world champs ranged against the Vietnamese who emerged winners in the recent world meet in Russie.

With such a matchup, no other teams dared field an entry.

A two-week training in Korea certainly helped the beauteous Filipinas, who, at home, trained under the care of coaches Igor Mella and Jeong Te Seng.

Manalo, a UST education senior, didn’t let Team Pilipinas down in the combat event.

The tall, slim Cavite lass drew a quarterfinal-round bye and outfought hometown rival Vony Dyan Permenta, 3-2, and Vietnamese Thanh Thao Nguyen, 7-3, to rule the women’s lightweight class.

“It was not easy. It was hard beating the Indonesian then I trailed at the start before eventually getting by the Vietnamese,” said Manalo.

She completed her Cinderella finish in beating the Vietnamese with a combination of head and body kicks.

Jeffrey Figueroa failed to make it past the opening round in men’s lightweight.