MANILA – Taekwondo jin King Patrick Perez kicked off Team Philippines’ medal haul in the 19th Asian Games with a bronze medal finish in the men’s individual poomsae on Sunday at the Lin’an Sports Culture & Exhibition Centre in Hangzhou, China.
The 23-year-old Perez settled for a bronze after falling short in the semifinals round against Chinese-Taipei’s Ma Yun Zhong, who scored 7.450 points as against the Filipino’s 6.910.
On his way to the semifinals round, Perez dispatched Souksavanh Chanthilath of Laos in the round-of-16 followed by a lopsided win over Limbu Prem Bahadur of Nepal in the quarterfinals.
“I did my very best but I lost to a better player today,” the former De La Salle University Green Archers taekwondo jin said after the match. “I could not believe I won a bronze (medal), I am really happy.”
Jocel Lyn Ninobla, meanwhile, failed to reach the medal round on the distaff side as she was defeated by South Korean Cha Yeaeun in the round-of-16 with the scores of 7.680-7.560.
Meanwhile, Mark Ashley Fajardo made a smashing Asian Games debut after scoring a first-round knockout victory of Bhutan’s Dorji Wangdi at the start of boxing competitions at Hangzhou gymnasium.
The Cebu-native Fajardo made it easy and quick by setting up Wangdi with a straight right, and then delivering a left to the jaw that dropped his foe to the canvas at the 2:21 mark.
Filipina amateur boxer Aira Villegas, on the other hand, failed to advance to the next round of the women’s 50 kg class after being defeated by Mongolia’s Yesugen Oyuntsetseg, 3-1.
Wushu star Agatha Wong failed to duplicate her bronze medal finish from the 2018 Asiad after placing fourth with overall score of 19.456 — third in Taijijian (9.736) and seventh in Taijiquan (9.720).
Filipina beach volleyball pair of Floremel Rodriguez and Genesa Jane Eslapor entered the quarterfinals round after defeating Macau’s On Ieng Leong and Weng Sam Law in the round of 16 category./PN
