First gold medal for PH in pencak silat in 12 years

KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippines won its first gold medal in pencak silat in 12 years, but suffered twin

losses in taekwondo Tuesday in the 29th Southeast Asian Games.

Dines Dumaan, who just joined the national team over a year ago, overwhelmed Indonesia’s Firman with three takedowns to win the men’s tanding 45-50kg. category.

A tanding match is divided into three rounds of two minutes each with one-minute rest in between rounds.

A takedown is worth three points, according to team manager Inies Candor who broke the news.

Dumaan, a farmer’s son, was only 10 years old when Earl Buenviaje won the gold in the 2005 Games in Manila.

A 22-year-old native of Panot-an, Capiz, Dumaan won the bronze in the Asian Beach Games last year.

“Sulit ang paghinto ko sa pag-aaral para mag-concentrate sa training,” said Dumaan, a third year marine transportation student at Colegio dela Purisima Concepcion in Roxas City.

Sulit admitted he got groggy after being hit on the right side of his chest.

“Nahilo ako. Akala ko talo na ako,” said Dumaan who was meted deductions for violations, but still emerged a 4-1 winner.

The team also collected four bronzes courtesy of Princesslyn Enopia in the women’s tanding Class A 45-50 kg., Rickrod Ortega in the men’s Class C 55-60 kg. and Jefferson Rhey Loon in the men’s Class I 60-65 kg.

Cherry Mae Regalado, the last woman standing in pencak silat, finished fourth in the women’s semi-artistry regu putrid.

The 1-gold, 4-bronze collection is a marked improvement from the three bronzes won by the Filipinos two years ago in Singapore.

Late in the night, the Philippines’ gold medal bids were dashed in sepak takraw and squash.

In sepak takraw, the Philippines lost to Malaysia to settle for the silver in men’s team regu.

And in squash, the Filipinos went down to Singapore, 2-1, to settle for the silver.

Singapore won the first single when Pang Ka Hoe crushed Reymark Begonia, 11-1, 11-3, 11-6.

But Robert Garcia, the 31-year-old PH No. 1, forced a deciding singles by outsmarting Benedict Chan, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9.

Singapore sealed the gold through Samuel Kang who trounced David William Pelino, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5.

Despite the loss, the squash team celebrated its best showing in the Games with two silvers and six bronzes.

The third silver of the day came from taekwondo where Kirstie Elaine Alora lost to a tall, fellow Olympian Sonesavanh of Cambodia, 13-6, in the women’s under 73 kg.