■ Ofelia C. Empian
Three more Cordilleran athletes contributed to the medal haul of Team Philippines in the 2023 World Combat Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from Oct. 20 to 30.
Ariel Lampacan and Islay Erika Bomogao’s performance in Muay Thai both garnered them a silver medal apiece while Justin Kobe Macario bagged a bronze medal, contributing to the Philippines’ medal haul of three gold, five silver and five bronze me-dals.
Lampacan, the 32nd Southeast Asian Games silver medalist in Kon Bokator and his mixed pair partner, former world champion Philip Delarmino, got a score of 9.03, earning them the second place finish over fellow Team Philippines athletes Rhichien Yosorez and Alyssa Mallari who took the gold with 9.20 points.
International Federation of Muaythai Associations gold medalist Bomogao took the silver medal after edging Jia Chi Yan of Malaysia in the Muay Thai waikru finals ending their game in 9.36 and 9.50 score in favor of Bomogao.
In taekwondo, Macario and Juvenile Faye Crisostomo garnered bronze in the mixed pair poomsae with a total score of 8.82 following Korea with 9.02 score and Chinese Taipei with 8.86 points.
Earlier, the Philippine Wushu Team also contributed medals with Agatha Wong and Clemente Tabugara winning silver and Thornton Sayan and Jones Inso taking bronze. Tabugara and Inso were fresh off bronze medals during the Asian Games before heading to Riyadh.
Cordilleran wushu specialists Sayan and Inso contributed bronze medals each in the international games.
Sayan, who was the first to win a medal among the country’s contingent, bagged the bronze in the men’s taolu nanquan and placed fifth in the nangun event with a total of 19.4.
Inso contributed bronze in the men’s taolu taijiquan and taijijian event. He earlier brought home a bronze medal in the taijiquan and taijijian discipline in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The World Combat Games drew to a close on Monday in Riyadh, which is set to host the 22nd Asian Games in 2034.
