3 Pinoy fighters bag golds in Asia-Oceania Sambo meet

MANILA, June 29 ------ Team Philippines finished with a flourish in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships, with Aislinn Agnes Yap adding a third gold to the host's haul at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Yap took down Zamzagul Faizollanova of Kazakhstan midway into their match to fashion a close 1-0 decision in retaining her women's -80-kilogram combat sambo crown. Yap's pin-down of the five-time Kazakhstan national champion was placed under protest by her camp, but a review of the tape by technical officials upheld the previous decision.

It was the Philippines' third gold medal of the competition, after national team members Jomary Torres and Aumagel Princess Cortez ruled their respective divisions on Saturday night. World No. 7 Torres had a knockout performance, landing a picture perfect right roundhouse kick to the head of Kazakhstan's Zhadyra Paiyz barely seconds into their women's 50kg combat sambo finals match.

The referee stopped the fight after taking stock of Paiyz, who appeared glassy-eyed from the hit. The Filipina fighter was named the winner by an 8-0 count for the gold. Inspired by her national teammate's sterling outing, Cortez struck hard and early in fashion in an emphatic 9-2 triumph over another Kazakhstani, Mervet Berdhinakova in the women's 59kg women's combat sambo class.

Their loss softened the blow of defending champion Sydney Sy's 0-6 defeat to former world champion Arailym Abenova of Kazakhstan in the final of the women's +80kg combat sambo. The third silver for the country came on Saturday courtesy of national team newcomer Jasmaine Henryk Ching, who lost by submission to Kazakhstan's Gulo Almukhanbetova in the women's -54kg sport sambo finals.

It was a productive finish for the hosts as they took three gold, three silver and eight bronze medals, surpassing their two golds from Yap and Sy to finish fifth overall in the medal standings among 22 countries that took part in the meet organized by the Pilipinas Sambo Federation, Inc. "Ang sabi namin ni coach Jerry (Legaspi) na dadaanin namin sa suntok pero sabi ko sa sarili ko na maliit yung kalaban ko kaya sinubukan ko. At tumama naman," Torres, a native of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, said.

On the other hand, Sy felt bittersweet about her outcome. "I really, really wanted to win but it was not my day," an emotional Sy said. "But I am proud of how national team performed because we won three golds and saw how our sport practically grew from nothing."

Source: news.abs-cbn.com