March 29, 2024

Cordilleran fighter Islay Erika Bomogao and Philip Delarmino powered Team Bagsik of the national Muay Thai team for a two-gold, one-silver, and two-bronze medal haul in the IFMA World Muay Thai Championship in Phuket, Thailand.

Bomogao impressed the panel of judges in her waikru performance to win the gold in the female side while Aldrich Toralba settled for silver in the men’s side of the same event.

Earlier, Bomogao settled for a bronze medal in the combat side of the tournament that featured three categories held Dec. 4 to 12.

Delarmino, the reigning World Muaythai Council-Asian featherweight belt, clinched the gold medal in the combat side after he outclassed Aleksandr Abramov of Russia in the men’s 57-kilogram finals.

Bomogao and Delarmino then paired for a gold medal finish in the mai Muay Thai event.

Rudzma Abubakar also settled for bronze medal in the combat side of the female’s under-23 48-kilogram.

Two more Cordilleran athletes – Ariel Lee Lampacan, a 2019 Southeast Asian Games and 2018 IFMA Amateur World Championship gold medalists, and Carissa Tarapen of the Cordillera Career Development College – failed to reach the medal rounds after advancing to the third round.

Members of the national squad’s Team Bagsik were led by overall coach Billy Alumno and deputy coaches Edzel Ngina and Precious Delarmino.

Members of Team Bagsik have been training in the mountains of Benguet and Baguio City for most of the pandemic with Benguet State University as their main training ground.

The national squad will take a Yuletide break before resuming bubble training at BSU for the upcoming international tournaments such as the 2021 SEA Games Vietnam in May. – Harley F.    Palangchao