INCHEON, South Korea – Taekwondo bet Mary Anjelay Pelaez carried her fight to the semifinal where she lost to a Korean, 14-2, and settled for the bronze in the -46 kg category of the Asian Games taekwondo competitions last night at the Ganghwa Dolmens Gymnasium.
Pelaez, who earned a slot in the Philippine team as a bronze medalist in this year’s Asian Championship and last year’s Myanmar Games, lost right in the first round where Korean Kim Sohul was awarded seven points against a mere point by Pelaez.
The Korean outscored Pelaez, 3-0, in the second round and 4-1 in the third for a 14-2 decision that didn’t sit well with the taekwondo team, which was going all out to win another gold for the Philippines after Danny Caluag produced the breakthrough gold in BMX cyling.
Other taekwondo bets did not reach that far.
Pauline Louise Lopez, 18 , lost to China’s Wang Yun, 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, in the first round of the -57 class. Al dela Cruz lost to Rafalovich Maksim of Uzbekistan, 1-3, 1-1, 0-4 in the quarterfinal of the men’s -80 kg class and was out of the medal race.
Two more taekwondo jins take the mat today, with Jane Rafaelle Narra taking on Bibalayeva Gulim of Kazakhstan (-67 kg) and Benjamin Keith Sembrano, who complained of chest pains a week back, facing Tilak Bdr Gurung of Bhutan (-67).
At the close of competitions tomorrow, the Philippines will get its last chance for another gold medal through veteran Kristine Elaine Alora (-73 kg), Francis Aaron Agojo (-58 kg) and John Paul Lizardo .
Alora drew a bye to the quarterfinal where she faces Ananbeh Rima Abdel Karim Ibrahim of Jordan.
Agojo battles Myanmar’s Naing Dwe Shein in the round of 16. Lizardo also has a lighter round of 16 opponent in Laotian Kuangmany Thipphakone.