DAVAO CITY, (PNA) – As expected, host Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Davao showed its dominance by winning 15 of the 18 golds at stake in the TKS-Petron Interclub Age-Group Karate Championships held Saturday at the 5th floor of the Gaisano Grand Citimall here.
AAK Davao also pocketed 10 silvers and 10 bronze medals in the one-day event by TKS Petron Service Station and TKS Builders and Supplies.
Pavel Jervic “PJ” Bacayo, 17, won three gold medals for AAK Davao in the boys’ 16-17 kata and kumite and men’s open kumite to emerge as the most be-medalled player among the 80 karatekas.
Bacayo, a freshman geology student of the University of Southeastern Philippines, beat his own teammate Denzel Maramara both in the 16-17 kata and kumite events.
Bacayo, who was discovered in the Beefit Gym’s 2011 MILO Summer Clinic, used his superb quickness both on his kicks and reverse punches after taking down Maramara en route to a smashing 7-0 rout in the finals.
Bacayo then beat Shorin Chi’s July Inson, 3-1 in the finals of the men’s open kumite category.
Three others each won two gold medals for AAK Davao. They are Ella Estarija, JP Ponce and Gabriel Quinones.
Poster girl Estarija, a senior high school student of Stella Maris Academy, easily ruled the girls’ 16-17 kata and kumite (sparring) events. Estarija showed her vast experience in scoring a convincing 6-0 win over Nica Bretania of Mindanao Polytechnic College (MPC) of GenSan in the kumite finals.
AAK Davao’s Czarina Morales settled for the bronze. Estarija, a former So Kim Cheng Sports Awards female outstanding karateka also bested Morales for the kata gold.
Quinones, a Brokenshire Science High School junior, ruled the boys’ 14-15 kata by besting Fil-Japanese Hideo Ito of Combatants-Toril in the finals. Quinones, this year’s SKC awardee, defeated fellow AAK Davao player Eman Bayugo for the kumite gold.
Ponce, on the other hand, topped the boys’ 12-13 kata and kumite categories. The grade 4 student from Precious International School of Davao outplayed Combatants’ Sylwin Angeles in the kumite finals.
The other gold medallists of AAK Davao were Josh Worsley (boys 6-7 kumite), Ric Aquino (boys 6-7 kata), Aspen Lim (girls 6-7 kata), Danya Paquil (girls 14-15 kata), Jam Ramirez (boys 12-13 kumite) and Darlene Maramara (girls 14-15 kumite).
Worsley, 7, who made his debut as a player, was discovered during last year’s MILO Summer clinic at his family-owned Zoofari.
He beat his own teammate and former champion Tristan Sy in the kumite finals after bagging the silver behind national campaigner and also teammate Ric Aquino in kata.
The other golds were won by Combatants’ Alexis Alcebar (boys 10-11 kumite), Mindanao Polytechnic College-GenSan’s Jomar Arranguez (men’s 60 kg. kumite) and Stalwart’s Rebecca Pantaleon (women’s open kumite).
AAK Davao’s other silver medallists were Jam Ramirez (boys 12-13 kata), Tristan Sy (boys 6-7 kumite), Craig Infiesto (boys 12-13 kumite), Eman Bayugo (boys 14-15 kumite) and Danya Paquil (girls 14-15 kumite), while the bronze medals were courtesy of Sy (boys 6-7 kata), M. Sy, (boys 12-13 kata), C. Infiesto (boys 12-13 kata), E. Bayugo (boys 14-15 kata), Marianne Infiesto (girls 14-15 kata), Tanya Lopez (girls 14-15 kata & kumite) and C. Morales (girls 14-15 kumite).
AAK Davao branch chief Rommel Tan, SC instructor Cris Campomanes and referee-judge Bert Apas awarded the medals and certificates.
The event was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Gaisano Grand Citimall, Benjade Construction, Charlie and Gloria Estarija, Edgar Ponce, Marcelo Ayala, Glenn and Ruby Chua, Hector and Sheila Barnes, Engr. Celso Manaois, Benjie Lim, Rick’s Carwash, Rick and Louvi Aquino, Beefit Gym, Living Power Corp. Inc. (LPIC), Cherifer Vitamins and SCOOP Davao.