INCHEON, South Korea—The Philippines went down to only two more chances at a taekwondo gold medal in the 17th Asian Games after Benjamin Keith Sembrano settled for a bronze and Jane Rafaelle Narra was booted out in her first fight on Thursday.
Despite being slightly taller by an inch at 183 centimeters, Sembrano couldn’t get his kicks in against a more experienced Huang Jannan of China, who advanced to the men’s -68kg gold-medal round with a lopsided 16-3 victory.
Sembrano’s bronze was the fourth from taekwondo. The Philippines also clinched four bronze medals in the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
Left to fight for a gold medal are veteran John Paul Lizardo and Francis Aaron Agojo. Lizardo faces Lao PDR’s Thipphakone Kuangmany in the men’s -52kg round-of-32 and Agojo battles Myanmar’s Shein Naing Dwe in the men’s -58kg round-of-16 on Friday.
Sembrano, a veteran of the world and Asian Junior championships, opened the day with a close 12-10 triumph over Kuwait’s Hasan Abdullah. The Filipino built a 6-1 insurance in the first round and staved off the Kuwaiti, who rallied to win the second round, 3-1.
Sembrano had enough strength to match Abdullah toe to toe in the third round that went 6-all and reach the quarterfinals, where he met and beat Thailand’s Chetrapee Tangjai, 12-9.
The Filipino jin also barely held his ground against the Thai. After a 4-4 first round, Sembrano poured it all in the second for a 6-2 tally and the lead in the fight. The Thai rallied but could only manage a 3-2 win in the third.
The Chinese, however, was an all different foe. Huang dominated all three rounds with his variety of kicks he laced with powerful axes to peg the score at 7-2 in the first round, 4-0 in the second and 5-1 in the third. But it also helped that Sembrano fought injured—an aching ankle and right thigh.
Narra, meanwhile, was overpowered by another Chinese, Guo Yun Fei, the reigning Asian Games and continental championship gold medalist, 0-5.
Mary Anjelay Pelaez (women’s -46kg), Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison (men’s -74kg) and Levita Ronna Ilao (women’s -49kg) delivered the other bronze medals from taekwondo.
Jun Lomibao