SOUTHEAST Asian Games silver winner Riza Pasuit of the Philippines overcame Marianna Basanets of Ukraine, 4-1, on Monday night and stayed on course to reclaim the gold she last won three years ago in the Thailand Open in Bangkok.
The 32-year-old Ms. Pasuit was nothing short of clinical in disposing of Ms. Basanets and arranging a semis duel with Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva, who bested Singapore’s Zann Chee, in the women’s 60-kilogram class set on Thursday a the Indoor Stadium Huamark.
Ms. Pasuit, who drew a first-round bye, to sweeten the pot and make the finals where she will have a chance to recollect her golden moments there similar to what she accomplished in 2022.
Also fighting for a medal was Filipino welterweight Mark Ashley Fajardo, who was battling Ukrainian Pohozhyi Nikita in the quarters on Tuesday night.
If Mr. Fajardo ends up victorious, he will battle either Uzbekistan’s Ilyasov Sayat or host Thailand’s Khunatip Pidnuch in the semis also scheduled Thursday.
Ronald Chavez, Jr. wasn’t as fortunate as he fell to Kazakh Torekhan Sabyrkhan, 5-0, in the men’s 70-kg division, leaving Ms. Pasuit and Mr. Fajardo as the last Filipinos standings. — Joey Villar
