Francis Erl Jud Abundo and Kathleya Elaine Bustamante saved the day for hometown bets with a gold each, capping a prolific outing for country at the close of the Karate One-Youth League presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
A day before celebrating his 13th birthday, the diminutive Abundo was like a whirling dervish in overwhelming Brunei’s Azlee Khairi bin Wan Zuraimi 7-0 to rule the under-14 male kumite -40-kilogram class in the meet sanctioned by the World Karate Federation and organized by the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation, Inc.
After three fruitless days of hostilities, Bustamante actually finally scored the golden breakthrough that the Filipinos desperately needed in building an early 2-0 lead then held off Australian Ana Jovic 6-2 in clinching the under-14 kumite female -47kg class.
Dean Caleb Montalbo and Alexa Rae Vallesteros added a silver each in settling for runner-up honors in the under-14 male and female divisions of kata of the meet also backed by the SM Group of Companies, Lanson’s Place and Milo.
Displaying a lot of verve and dynamism in his routine, Montalbo narrowly lost 2-3 to Saudi’s Moayad Alqahtani while Vallesteros was no match for the poise and precision of Japanese Kyoka Okamoto, who took the mint with a 5-0 win.
Ashana Geanne Sabote delivered the country’s first medal, a bronze, nipping Niela Aieza Albano 2-1 in the repechage round in the kumite female -42kg class, then Kaylani Vergara outplayed Serbia’s Andrea Nikolic 4-1 for the second bronze.
Overall, the Philippines garnered two golds, two silvers and two bronze medals to wrap its fruitful campaign in the tournament also backed by Citadines Bay City Manila that drew nearly 800 karatekas from 58 countries.
“Akala ko magiging close fight siya dahil finals,” Abundo, a Grade 7 student at the Agustinian Abbey School of Las Pinas, said.
“Triny ko po mag-attack pero hindi siya nag-counter kaya’t sinabaya ako ng sipa at suntok, at hayun nanalo ako,” added the karateka, who began at the ripe of age of five but stopped for two years due to the pandemic, calmly.
He road to the gold was made easier after upending WKF-1’s Nikita Komarov 7-3 i the semifinals by consistently connecting with body blows.
On the other hand, Bustamante was teary-eyed over her victory, declaring “this victory feels so good because this I have never had this before. This was a totally a surprise for me.
“I am very happy that I reached my best to reach this.”
A Grade 7 student at the Notre Dame University in General Santo City, Bustamante said she hoped to continue her success in the Palarong Pambansa opening on May 24 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur where karate will be a demonstration sport.
Francis Erl Jud Abundo connects with a punch to Brunei’s Azlee Khairi bin Wan Zuraimi 7-0 to rule the under-14 male kumite -40-kilogram class of the Karare One-Youth League tournament yesterday at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
