Parantac 3rd in world wushu

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran internationalist Daniel Parantac placed third in taijiquan to deliver the first medal for the Team Philippines in the biennial 12th World Wushu Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Parantac chalked up 9.64 points in the event ruled by China’s Yunlong Chai with 9.70. Malaysian Lee Yang posted 9.69 for the silver medal.

“I gave it all and when I was running second to the Chinese, there were tense moments. The favorite Malaysian and the Korean who won the silver medal in the taijiquan have yet to perform.

“It was well while the Malaysian overtook me, the Korean fell short (by slimmest of margins, .01),” said Parantac.

For his part, Wushu Federation Philippines secretary general Julian Camacho said, “I hope Daniel’s getting a bronze anew will spur our athletes to replicate the two gold-medal output we had in 2011.”

Reigning world champion in the 48kg category, Jessie Aligaga towed three other Filipino bets – Benjie Rivera, Jean Claude Saclag and Evita Elise Zamora – to the semifinals for sure medals.

Aligaga beat Chan Hau Wing of Hong Kong, Rivera, the 2011 world’s bronze medalist in the 56kg but now campaigning in the lower category, needed only two rounds of the best-of-three-rounds match to dispose of Afghan Mohammad Ramin Naemi as did Zamora, who booted out another Hong Kong bet Chao Ho Yee.

Saclag’s bout with Armenian Karapet Tevosyan went the distance after the former faltered in the second round.