Karate bets win 3 golds

BY TRINA IBARLE-ORQUIZA

PROVING they are ready to compete in the Guangzhou Asian Games, the national karate squad bagged three gold medal, two silvers medals and a bronze in the just-concluded 6th Korea Open International Karatedo Championships at the Gudeok Gymnasium in Busan, South Korea.

Reigning Southeast Asian Games champions Marna Pabillore and Noel Espinosa, along with newcomer Mabel Arevalo, accounted for the team's three gold medals.

Pabillore topped the women's kumite minus 55-kilogram class, beating Man Sum of Hong Kong and Thu Nga of Vietnam in the eliminations before thwarting Ching of Chinese Taipei in the championship round.

Pabillore is one of the medal hopefuls identified by the Philippine Sports Commission for the Asian Games set on Nov. 12-27 in Guangzhou, China.

Equally impressive was Espinosa who bested a competitive field in the men's kata event. He edged entries from Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam in the preliminaries and beat an entry from Hong Kong anew in the finals.

Arevalo ruled the women's kata event and became a double winner when she bagged the bronze in the women's kumite minus 48-kg category.

Mae Soriano (women's kumite minus 50kg) and Rolando Lagman (men's kumite minus 67-kg) brought home silver medals.

"Malalakas ang mga sumali dahil halos lahat ng teams na ipinadala ay miyembro ng kanilang national team, lalo na ang mga Asian countries na sasali sa Asian Games. Umaasa kami na mas magiging maganda pa ang kampanya namin sa Asian Games sa November," said Philippine Karatedo Federation secretary-general Raymund Lee Reyes.