Aparri claims gold in SEAG boxing

BAGUIO and the rest of the Cordilleras beamed with pride anew after a lady boxer snatched a gold medal, while the wushu contingent added several medals to add up in the Philippines campaign in the ongoing Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Lady boxer Alice Kate Aparri capped her campaign in women’s boxing after claiming the gold against Myanmar’s Thet Htar San after stopping Selly Wanimbio of Indonesia in the semis and Mieovady Hangfa of Laos in the prelims.

Aparri, one of the Baguio-based fighters who are seeing action in the 26th edition of the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia won it in the light flyweight division.

Meanwhile, Baguio wushu players snatched a silver medal in the taulo event during Sunday’s finals.

Daniel Parantac, who topped the first day of competition in the Taijiquan + Taijijian with a 9.71 points falter in the second day with a 9.51 to score a silver in the biennial meet.

Also, scoring silver in the Duilian event is the trio of World gold medalist John Keithley Chan, Engelbert Addon and Eleazar Jacob with a 9.72 to settle for the silver.

The female trio of Natasha Enriquez, Kathy Lynne, and Kariza Chan was good for a bronze medal after scoring 9.68 in the female side of duilian event.

Sanshou fighter Mariane Mariano, together with Benjie Rivera, Mark Eddiva and Eduard Folayang, will be eyeing a gold medal in their respective weight classes after disposing of separate rivals.

Mariano edged Kesinee Tabtrai (Thailand) then Su Hlaing Oo of Mynamar to arrange a gold match against Tan Thi Ly of Vietnam in the 56 kilogram (kg) weight class.

The lone fatality for the Baguio based sanshou squad is Rhea May Rifani who fell out of contention in the 48 kgs event after bowing to Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Bich.

Benjie Rivera, meanwhile, will seek the gold in the 56 kgs division after disposing Boupha Valasith of Laos and Yusar Kristiawan of Indonesia as he goes up against Pan Van Hau of Vietnam.

Asian games silver medalist Mark Eddiva guns for another gold medal performance in the 65 kgs division when he battles Youne Victorio Sen of Indonesia after defeating Choy Thla of Cambodia and Tin Lin Aung of Myanmar in the preliminaries.

Eduard Folayang, one of the country’s be-medaled sanshou campaigners, seeks another stellar performance as he battle Udon Khanxay of Laos after beating Agus Suprayitno of Indonesia in the 70 kgs weight class.