RP wushu champ, newcomer get 2 gold medals at SEA Games

World wushu champion Willy Wang defended his SEA Games nanquan title and Mariane Mariano turned out a surpise victory in the sanshou event to get two more gold medals for Team Philippines on Monday at the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand. Wang, who last month won the world title in Beijing, turned in his lowest score of 9.50 in the nangun (southern-style cudgel) event, but that was enough to top the three-event competition with a 28.60 total, 0.18 points ahead of his nearest rival. The 21-year-old Binondo resident earlier scored 9.57 in the nanquan (southern fist) and 9.53 in the nandao (broadsword), according to report issued the Philippine delegation. Drawing as many kudos was Mariano, an education student at the University of Cordilleras, who beat Myanmar's Khain Yar Zar in the sanshou under-60-kilogram finals, 2-0, for the second wushu gold. For Filipiino spectors, the win was rather unexpected because the 19-year-old joined the RP team only five months ago. But not for Mariano herself. "Nu'ng tinalo ko po 'yung Thailand (Ratree Kraekhe last Sunday), parang alam ko na pong mananalo ako. Nagpatibay po lalo ng puso ko 'yon," she said. Wushu federation chief Julian Camacho had predicted at least three golds for his team, but said his wards did their best. "At least, nakapagbigay para sa bayan," he said. Settling for silver medals were sanshou teammates Mary Jane Estimar in the under-52-kilogram women's event and Benjamin Rivera Jr. in the under-52-kg men's event. A day earlier, the Philippines got three bronzes from Rene Catalan in the under-52-kilogram event, and Daniel Parantac and Janice Hung in taijiquan two-events. Those two golds, two silvers, and three bronzes put the Filipinos just behind the wushu event champion Vietnam's 6-3-1 count. The wushu events took place at the Kebkanjana CTech Gym in Nakhon Ratchasima. - GMANews.TV