JAKARTA – The Philippines got an early boost in its 2018 Asian Games campaign when taekwondo particularly the poomsae team delivered two bronze medals in the first day of competitions here.
Dustin Jacob Mella, Jeordan Dominguez, and Rodolfo Reyes Jr. captured the country’s first bronze medal after reaching the semifinals of the men’s event being held at the Jakarta Convention Center Plenary Hall.
Not to be outdone, the women’s team of Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, Rinna Babanto, and Janna Dominique Oliva also claimed the bronze by virtue of a semifinal seat in the competition.
Losses to Korea by the men’s team and China by the women’s team prevented the two Philippine squads from entering the gold-medal match but the win was already impressive in the year where poomsae is making its debut in the Asian Games.
The medals were also an auspicious start to the Philippine delegation that is eyeing to improve on its one-gold, three-silver, 11-bronze output in Incheon.
Other athletes also came out with impressive showings in the first day of competition.
In shooting, Haigen Topacio placed third in the first day of the qualifying round of men’s trap in Palembang.
Also in Palembang, Jeson Patrombon beat Nazario Fernandes Gusmao of Timor Leste, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round of men’s singles, while Patrombon and Francis Casey Alcantara won over Jabor Almutawa and Mubarak Zayid of Qatar, 6-4, 6-2, in men’s doubles.
Divine Wally beat Mimi Yoysaykham of Laos in the first round of the women’s sanda -52 kg in wushu.
Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Agatha Wong finished fifth in the women’s taijijian.
Roxanne Yu reached the finals of the women’s 200m backstroke but finished in eighth place in the final.
Meanwhile, Reyes and Jocelyn Ninobla failed to advance into the quarterfinals of individual poomsae, while wrestler Alvin Lobrequito lost in his quarterfinal match in the men’s 57kg.
The Philippine women’s volleyball team suffered a three-set defeat against Thailand, 25-22, 25-12, 25-15.
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