Pinoy grapplers grab 3 more golds

The wrestling team collected a total of five gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes after closing out with a three gold medal haul in the final day of action in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the San Andres Civic Center, Malate, Manila.

Marcus Valda grabbed the gold, scoring a total of 13 classification points in the 96 kg men’s freestyle, leaving Vietnam’s Nguyan Van Duc far behind with only seven and Indonesia’s Aji Sutrisno with three.

Valda swept all three matches, one through a technical out which is equivalent to five classification points.

Christina Villanueva accounted for RP’s second gold as she dominated the women’s 51 kg, winning all four matches, three through technical out. Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Thu took the silver with 12 classification points while Thailand’s Onanong Chari settled for the bronze with 11.

Gemma Silverio ruled the women’s 59 kg for the Philippines’ third gold, beating Thailand’s Pattana Promeam and Cambodia’s Try Sothavy.

Cherry Matriz actually came close to delivering the country’s fourth medal after she and Vietnam’s Luong Thi Quyen marked 10 classification points after two matches. The Viet, however, snatched the win in the final match with Matriz settling for silver. Wong Duean Khamrahong of Thailand took the bronze.

Michael Baletin (74kg) and Melchor Tumasis (60kg), meanwhile, chipped in two bronze medals. Le Duy Hoi of Vietnam won the gold and Jumain of Indonesia took the silver, respectively, in the 74 kg category while Vietnam’s Doi Dang Hy and Thailand’s Chaptong Orachun placed first and second, respectively, in the 60kg. Sinachone Xayyasuk of Laos placed third with Tumasis.

"Our long training in Mongolia really helped a lot because we fought some word-caliber athletes," Silverio said.

In the first day, Jimmy Angana snatched the first gold in wrestling in the men’s 66kg freestyle, with a total of 15 classification points. Vietnamese Phan Duc Thang placed second with 14 points and Thailand’s Thanakorn Tud Ead third with six. Angana posted a 4-0 win-loss record to sweep all his matches, including a technical out that is equivalent to an additional five classification points in his total score.

Air Force personnel Francis Villanueva also ruled the men’s 120 kg, with a total of 16 points, while Thailand’s Arthit Chairat and Indonesia’s Agustaf got the silver and bronze, respectively.

Although Villanueva sustained a twisted knee and leg cramps in his first match against Augustaf, he won all his games.

including two technical-outs, against Vietnam’s Ha Van Hieu and Cambodia’s Chum Chivinn.

"Nung weigh-in pa lang, the (RP team) already congratulated me," said the SEAG first-timer, who was unable to participate in the Vietnam meet after his category was dropped off the list.

"Kukunin ko pa rin (ang gold) sa susunod," said Villanueva.

Margarito Angana, Vietnam bronze medalist and a sibling of Jimmy Angana, settled for second place this year in the men’s 55kg, bowing to Nguyen Van Hop of Vietnam. Surianto (Indonesia) and Ressada Chusong (Thailand) were tied in third place.

"Nanlambot ang mga tuhod ko, nagkatrangkaso kasi ako kagabi," said Margarito. He had a head butt in his first match, against Cambodian Khom Ratak Mony, so he was bleeding in all his subsequent matches.

The other silver came from Belinda Lapuente who won three of four matches, with a total of 10 classification points, while Vietnamese Nghiem Thi Gang and Thailander Sunisa Klahan acquired the gold and bronze, respectively.

"Sayang yung kay Margarito (Angana) and Maribel (Jambora). Sila kasi yung nakikitaan ko ng malakas na improvement sa training. Malakas lang talaga yung mga kalaban nila," said Coach Jerry Faingason.