By Peter Atencio
A LONG preparation period paid off for National University standout Clarence Sarza in the kyorugi senior division of the 16th ASEAN Taekwondo Championships on Sunday at the Ayala Malls-Manila Bay in Paranaque City.
The 23-year-old Sarza turned back University of Santo Tomas standout Rhyshel Ramirez 2-0 (3-2, 4-2), in an all-Filipino finals of the women’s finweight class to earn her first ever gold medal in three attempts.
“Finally, nasungkit ko na rin ang gold medal. Mas mahaba kasi ang preparation ko ngayon,” said Sarza, a marketing graduate at the NU, after she earlier bagged a bronze and a silver in her first two outings in the three-day meet organized by the ASEAN Taekwondo Federation.
Sarza’s memorable win came as Truong Thi Kim Tuyen, one of 10 SEA Games medallists, who showed up for the tournament, did not fight in the finweight class where she topped it in the Vietnam meet last year.
She reached the finals after Sarza overcame Vietnamese foe Truong Thi Cam Hong in the semifinals, and took the crown after unleashing a 45-degree head shot which dropped Ramirez to the mat.
Truong, who competed in a higher weight class and joined the flyweight action, won over Filipina bet Sharifa de la Cruz, 2-0 (14-4, 15-1), for one of 10 golds that Vietnam captured that afternoon.
The Philippines finished with three gold medals, to go with 10 silvers and 13 bronzes in the kyurogi action alone.
Sarza’s teammate Kurt Pajuelas and Matthew Teruel also won golds, this time in the men’s division, with Pajuelas taking the bantamweight honors and Teruel dominating the heavyweight against Filipino rivals.
Pajuelas, a 23-year old NU standout, struck down with a back kick to the body to stop Legolas Penaredondo in topping their bantamweight duel, while Teruel scored a technical knockout over Mark Gariega.
Among the SEA Games gold medallists, who showed up were Vietnamese lightweight jin Pham Thi Thu Hien, who prevailed over Filipina foe Jubilee Briones, 2-0, and welterweight Bac Thi Kiem, who won over teammate Ho Thi Kim Ngan, in the welterweight side.
SEA Games flyweight bronze medallist Vu Thi Hong of Vietnam also created a stir after after going up in weight to dispose of SEA Games bantamweight bronze winner Megawati Maherswari of Indonesia.
ATF president Monsour del Rosario led the awarding the ceremony, with Philippine Taekwondo Association official Rocky Samson and Stephen Fernandez.