Jakarta—Asian Games first timer Almohaidib Abad captured the fourth bronze medal of the Pencak Silat Team after he placed third in the men’s singles finals Wednesday morning to add to the medal haul of the Philippines in the 18th Asian Games at the Padepokan Pencak Silat, TMII Mat 1 here.
The 18-year-old Abad, who is making his Asian Games’ debut here, submitted a total of 445 points in the finals to secure the bronze medal in the event and his first in the quadrennial event.
“Glory to God! I feel so blessed with my win,” said Abad, who became the second to the youngest medalist of the delegation next to 17-year-old Yuka Saso, who claimed two gold medals in the women’s individual and team events in golf.
The gold went to Sugianto Sugianto of Indonesia to add to his world title in this event from 2016.
Indonesia has won all nine pencak silat events held at the Asian Games. The silver went to Ilyas Sadara of Thailand.
Also contributing bronze from pencak silat were Cherry May Regalado, Dines Dumaan and Jeffrey Loon.
The Philippines, which has a tally of 4 golds and 13 bronze medals, is currently at 16th overall in the medal standings, but still behind Southeast Asian Games rivals Thailand (10th, 9 golds), Vietnam (14th, 4 golds, 12 silvers) and Malaysia (15th, 4 golds, 10 silvers).
Meanwhile, Carlo Paalam toppled an older and more seasoned foe from Kazakhstan, Termirtas Zhussupov, 4-1, also on Wednesday to assure himself of a men’s flyweight bronze medal in 18th Asian Games boxing action at the Jakarta Expo Boxing Hall.
Paalam, the youngest in the eight-boxer Philippine team at 20, scored the split decision victory over the 30-year-old Kazakh—a former Asian champion and two-time national titlist of his country.
“Magaling siya at mautak kasi experienced siya,” said Paalam, who takes on China’s Wu Zhonglin—a controversial 5-0 winner over Indonesia’s Mario Blasius Kali earlier in the day—in the semifinals on Friday.
“Kahit bata ako, gusto ko siyang sabayan,” said Paalam, who clinched a bronze medal in each of the 2016 Asian and World Youth Championships.
Middleweight Eumir Felix Marcia was scheduled to fight South Korea’s Kim Jinjea in a middleweight quarterfinal bout late Wednesday.
Olympian Rogen Ladon already advanced to the flyweight semifinal and will take on Thai Yuttapong Tongdee also on Friday.