Team Philippines keeps grasping for a chance at snatching more gold medals in Asian Youth Games

MANAMA — Lifter Jhodie Peralta settled for a silver and a bronze while pug Leo Mhar Lobrido pocketed a bronze as the Philippines kept grasping for straws for a last-gasp chance at snatching more gold medals in the 3rd Asian Youth Games at the Exhibition World Bahrain here.

Ms. Peralta came a breath away from snaring two golds but fell short in the end and consoled herself with a silver in snatch with an 87-kilogram (kg) lift and a bronze in clean and jerk where she had a 100 kg in the girls’ 53 kg class.

Both mints went to North Korean Pak Hae Yon, who had an 88 kg in snatch and 107 kg in clean and jerk.

“She (Ms. Pak) beat me by only one kilogram,” said Ms. Peralta, a triple gold winner in the World Championships in Lima, Peru last May.

For a few minutes though Ms. Peralta owned the new meet record with her clean and jerk lift.

But it was good when it lasted as, on their third and final lifts, Vietnam’s Y Lien had a 106 kg and Ms. Pak whipped up a 107 kg that denied the Zamboanga City native from going home with either the gold or the silver.

For Mr. Lobrido, he succumbed to the taller, longer Abdugani Yorkinjonov of Uzbekistan via unanimous decision in their boys’ 46 kg bout and settled for bronze.

“I was able to hit him even though I’m smaller, but the judges saw it differently,” said the Philippines’ flag-bearer.

In all, the Philippines, which was once at fifth a few days ago, improved to six golds, seven silvers and eight bronzes, which was good for ninth.

But with two days to go before this quadrennial meet draws to a close, the Filipinos could still capture some medals, possibly mints, in wrestling, swimming and jiu-jitsu, a sport that had produced world champions in the past.

“We’re still hoping we could win some more gold medals,” said Philippine chef-de-mission Ramon Suzara.

Alas Pilipinas was aiming to add a bronze in girls’ volleyball as it was battling Southeast Asian rival Thailand as of this writing at the ISA Sports City.

There were also heartbreakers in cycling, table tennis and badminton where Filipinos fell like dominoes.

Cyclist CJ Cabreros wound up 12th while countrymen Joelian Abdul Hamid and Carl Laurence Espinos did not finish in the boys’ road race at the NBH loop. — Joey Villar