By MARK REY MONTEJO
The Philippine national kickboxing team impressed by winning four gold medals in the recent 2nd Cross-Strait Cities Kickboxing Invitational Tournament in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.
Guided by coaches Roselyn Hung, Bryan Olod, and Camilo Señeres, the Nationals toppled their rivals with SEA Games champion Gretel De Paz besting hometown bet Chaothai Sousan in women’s 56kg full contact event.
Aime Ramos, on the other hand, captured the top honors in the 48kg full contact by beating Macau’s Jiawen Lin.
Dave Justin Galas and Shiandris Nganhayna prevailed as well after outlasting local rivals in the men’s 51kg and 54kg K1 categories, respectively.
It became even more impressive as Galas and Nganhayna made their debut in an international competition, which turned out to be a special triumph as well for the former who celebrated his birthday the day he won his gold.
“Your hard work, discipline, courage, and determination have made the Philippines proud!,” the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas wrote on its social media post. “This opportunity opened an important door for our athletes, especially for Dave Justin and Shiandris as they stepped onto the international stage for the first time.”
“Congratulations, champions! Your SKP family is immensely proud of you! Keep fighting, keep inspiring, and keep bringing honor to the Philippines!”
