Asian Youth Games: Philippine martial arts bets stay on hunt for gold

MANAMA, Bahrain — Muay’s John Brix Ramiscal and Tyron Jamborillo and mixed martial arts’ Travis Ratcliff earned a shot at a potential gold medal in their respective sports Friday in the 3rd Asian Youth Games at the Exhibition World Bahrain here.

Ramiscal and Jamborillo blew away the opposition in finishing with the best score of 9.07 in the boy’s mai muay duo that ensured them of at least a bronze and one of the four spots’ in tomorrow’s finals where they would have a crack at the gold.

For the 17-year-old Ratcliff, he made the finals without breaking a sweat after Tajikistan’s Osimi Begmuodzoda did not make the weight in the semifinals of the boys’ 60-kilogram class in traditional MMA.

The Calatrava, Negros Occidental native will battle it out for the gold Sunday against the winner between Satria Eka Suryo of Indonesia and Amirmohammad Hatamianafshari of Iran.

Interestingly, Ratcliff’s sister, Charlie, was fighting for a finals slot against Kazakhstan’s Anelya Tsoy in the girls’ 45kg modern MMA as of this writing.

Another Filipino in Alexander Tagure Jr. wasn’t as fortunate though after losing to Uzbekistan’s Avaz Anbvarov submission-neck and settled for a bronze.

That medal hiked the country’s total haul to one gold, a silver and three bronzes in this quadrennial 12-day, 45-nation meet.

And more are coming thanks to the muay and MMA teams.

In muay, a sport that originated in Southeast Asian neighbor Thailand, there are at least three bronzes secured and a chance at making it a gold if they could deliver in the finale.

Ramiscal, a double-gold winner in the world championships in Abu Dhabi last year, will have an opportunity to add another medal, possibly a mint, as he is scheduled to compete in the boy’s wai kru for 16 to 17 years old today.

“Hopefully we could win gold,” said the 17-year-old Rizal High 11^th grader.

In cycling at the NBH Loop, Filipinos wound up 10th and dead last in the mixed relay of the team time trial.

Joelian Abdul Hamid, CJ Cabreros, Carl Laurence Espinosa, Marie Louisse Crisselle Alejado, Maritanya Krog and Yvaine Osias were blown away and checked in last in an hour, four minutes and 22.70 seconds in the event topped by the flying Kazakhs, who clocked a blistering 45:19.38.

Over at the Hall B of ISA Sports City, Alas Pilipinas pulled off a shock 25-20, 25-18, 25-20 victory in the classification phase that will determine the seeding of the quarter finalists in girls’ volleyball.

It was the second win by the Filipinas after splitting their two outings in Pool D following an epic five-set stunner over the South Koreans and a straight defeat to the Thais, the Southeast Asian powerhouses.

If Alas beats Hong Kong, it will finish with the higher seeding in the quarters set Sunday.