Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) – The Philippine kickboxing team won its first medals in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on Wednesday at the Bac Ninh Gymnasium.
Two bronzes were added to the country’s medal table after kickboxers Honorio Banario and Emmanuel Cantores lost in their respective semifinals matches.
Meanwhilel, two Filipina kickboxers earned victories in their semifinal matches to assure themselves of at least silver medal finishes in the biennial sports event.
Gretel Dela Paz defeated Thailand’s Surachada Namrak in the women’s full contact -56kg semifinals, while Gina Iniong dominated Malaysia’s Hayatun Najihin Radzuan in the women’s low kick -60kg semifinals.
Dela Paz and Iniong joined Zephania Ngaya, Renz Dacquel, Claudine Veloso, and former wushu champion Jean Claude Saclag in the list of Filipino kickboxers assured of silver medals.
Jomar Balangui, Daryl Chulipas, Carlos Alvarez, and Kurt Lubrica got eliminated in the preliminary round of their respective divisions.
The Philippines now has one gold, five silvers, and seven bronzes in the 31st SEA Games which will formally open on Thursday.
Cantores bowed to hometown bet Huy Nguyen Quang in the men’s low kick -60kg semifinals, as former ONE FC featherweight champion Banario fell to Cambodia’s Lvay Chhoeung in the men’s low kick -71kg semifinals.
