Finishing kick clinches final berth for US Open champ

Reigning US Open champion Brix Ramos came up with a big kick to the side of fellow US Open gold medalist Kervin Ong in the third round to win, 2-1, and advance to the middleweight finals in the junior men’s division of the ongoing Samsung Best of the Best national taekwondo championships Thursday at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

The two fought evenly from the start, with the count tied at 1-1 until Ramos took control in the third round. However, Ong earned a title shot at Ramos when his losers’ bracket foe was a no-show, but like everybody else who comes from the losers’ pool, he must win twice.

Other finalists are:

Junior men — John Paul Lizardo, who beat Rolly Pentecoste, 6-0, and Pentecoste, who qualified from the losers’ pool by topping Giorgio de Guzman, 5-3, finweight; Tristan Tiozon, who whipped Nolene delos Reyes, 10-1, and Delos Reyes, who won by disqualification over Nicole Gallego in the losers’ bracket, flyweight; Jerome Reyes, who toppled Alvin de Larrazabal by disqualification and Edlin Asistio, who nipped Larrazabal, 5-4, in the losers’ pool, bantamweight; Mark Bunyi, who edged Nurhakim Udah by superiority after they drew 5-5 and James Salazar, 8-7 winner over Udah in the losers’ pool, featherweight; Carlo Manalo, who won by superiority over Vincent Mihares after they fought to a 4-4 draw, and Mihares, 5-3 winner over Zaldy Bautista Jr. in the losers’ bracket, lightweight; and Albert Go, who topped Jordan Gasgas, 4-3, and Gershon Bautista, 4-2 victor over Gasgas in the losers’ pool, welterweight.

Junior women — Gerrielyn Decatus, who whipped Joannes Panotes, 7-2, and Radha Catarig, who whipped Panotes, 6-0, in the losers’ pool, bantamweight; Sabrina Simbulan, who walloped Clarissa Mae Sawali, 9-1, and Shirley Anne Epan, who outsteadied Sawali, 9-6, in the losers’ pool, lightweight; Esther Marie Singson, who routed Jan Pacquing, 6-1, and Jesufil Pedroza, who downed Pacquing, 9-6, in the losers’ bracket, middleweight; and Kathleen Valenzuela and Giselle Dimson, only entries in the welterweight category.

Final matches in the Junior men’s and women’s competition will be held tomorrow, while the boys’ and girls’ elimination matches began yesterday.

The bronze medalists are:

Junior men — Pentecoste, finweight; Gallego, fly; Larrazabal, bantam; Udah, feather; Bautista, light; Gasgas, welter; and Butch de Vera, middle.

Junior women — Rhia Tosino and Maria Abigail Rustria, fin; Marie Imelda Espina and Frances Pagaoa, fly; Joannes Panotes and Ethel Arellano, bantam; Geraldine Agatan and Melbeth Ramirez, feather; Clarissa Mae Sawali, light; and Jan Pacquing, middle.

The tourney is organized by IMG and Philippine Taekwondo Association, sponsored by Samsung and supported by Accel and 103.5 K Lite.