RP jins live up to winning tradition

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — Roberto Cruz, whose name has sent shivers on the world stage of taekwondo the last two years, proved anew he belongs to his own league as he collected an unprecedented sixth gold medal, while Veronica Domingo, the best in her class in Southeast Asia during the last two years, drove home that point anew as they gave the Philippines its golden moments in the 21st SEA Games here yesterday.

Cruz, silver medallist in the world taekwondo championships two years ago in Canada and gold medallist in the Asian qualifier for the Sydney Olympics last year, reduced Malaysian Shahidin Shah B. Mohd Farook to smithereens, 4-0, before a boisterous hometown crowd to win the gold in the finweight division for the sixth time since dominating the event in the 1991 SEA Games in Manila.

Cruz coasted to the championships with crushing wins over Singapore’s Derek PNG Chee Siang (8-1) and Thai Wissanu Panprom (4-1), and became the only Filipino to win the same event in the SEA Games for six consecutive times.

Domingo, gold medallist in the second Brunei Open and fifth Southeast Asian Taekwondo Union championships last year, powdered Indonesian Onyas Nurmala, 6-1, to win the gold in the women’s lightweight division.

She earlier disposed of Malaysian favorite Liew Kim Moi, 5-2, in the quarterfinals and Thai Piyaporn Dongnoi in the semifinals.

The victory gave the Phlippines a total medal count of 2-3 gold-silver in five events counting the silver medal wins of Bangkok Asian Games silver medallist and SEAG defending champion Donald Geisler in the lightweight class, Sydney Olympian Eva Marie Ditan, and Asian championships bronze medalist Sally Solis.in the middleweight division.

Geisler, who advanced to the gold medal round with overpowering 6-1 win over Indonesian Bayu Firmansyah, lost, 2-1, to Myanmar’s Haji Ismadey Bin Haji Hussin, who earlier upset top seed San Jaritruam of Thailand (2-1).

Ditan, who edged Malaysia’s Claudiea Wee in the quarterfinals (2-1) and top seed Khin Swe Oo, 2-1, in the semifinals lost to Vietnamese Thi Huyen Dieu, 2-1, in the finals.

Solis, gold medallist in 2000 Brunei Open and SEATU championships last year, bowed to Indonesia Emerald Magareth, 1-0, in a close contest although the silver medal finish improved on her bronze medal win in Brunei two years ago.

The only Filipino casualty was Dax Alberto Morfe, who withdrew in his fight against Vietnamese Phan Tan Dat in the first round.