Kickboxers bag 4th gold

Carlo Von Bumina-ang added another gold medal for the Philippine kickboxing team after beating Ali Abutali of Kazakhstan on points, 3-0, Sunday in the men’s -67-kilogram division of the Asian Kickboxing Championship in Cambodia.

The 30-year-old fighter earned a bye in the quarterfinal before getting a 3-0 win over Dostonbek Ilashev of Kazakhstan in the semifinal.

Bumina-ang, who also fights for the famed mixed martial arts club Team Lakay, earned the fourth gold medal for the Philippines after Hergie Bacyadan won a gold in the women’s -70 kg division and Jovan Medallo won in the musical forms with weapon and musical forms open hand.

Bacyadan, who participated in women’s boxing in the Paris Olympics last August, won over Jinwei Teng via abandonment in the final.

The Southeast Asian Games gold medalist expressed her gratitude for the chance as she will also compete in the World Combat Games in Chengdu, China next year.

“Thank you for this opportunity! This will be the first time I will compete in a world championship in kickboxing,” Bacyadan said.

“This is another skill unlocked for me. Thank you to those who supported me.”

The Philippines also has seven bronze medals courtesy of Janah Lavador in the musical forms with weapon, musical forms without weapon, and creative form with weapon categories, Renz Dacquel in the women’s low kick -48kg category, Lance Airon Villamer in the point fighting -63kg division, and Daryl Chulipas in the full contact -51kg division.

Honorio Banario and Gina Araos are still vying for medals in the men’s -75kg and women’s low kick -56 divisions, respectively, at press time.