2 golds highlight Philippine karatekas show

MANILA, Philippines — Francis Erl Jud Abundo and Kathleya Elaine Bustamante saved the day for hometown bets with a gold each, capping a prolific outing for the country at the close of the Karate One-Youth League presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

A day before celebrating his 13th birthday, the diminutive Abundo overwhelmed Brunei’s  Azlee Khairi bin Wan Zuraimi 7-0 to rule the under-14 male kumite -40-kilogram class in the meet sanctioned by the World Karate Federation and organized by the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation, Inc.

After three fruitless days of hostilities, Bustamante finally scored the golden breakthrough that the Filipinos desperately needed in building an early 2-0 lead then held off Australian Ana Jovic 6-2 in clinching the under-14 kumite female -47kg class.

Dean Caleb Montalbo and Alexa Rae Vallesteros added a silver each in settling for runner-up honors in the under-14 male and female divisions of kata.

Displaying a lot of verve and dynamism in his routine, Montalbo narrowly lost 2-3 to Saudi’s Moayad Alqahtani while Vallesteros was no match for the poise and precision of Japanese Kyoka Okamoto, who took the mint with a 5-0 win.

Ashana Geanne Sabote delivered the country’s first medal, a bronze, nipping Niela Aieza Albano 2-1 in the repechage round in the kumite female -42kg class,  then Kaylani Vergara outplayed Serbia’s Andrea Nikolic 4-1 for the second bronze.