For Samantha Catantan, having to face a fellow Filipino in the women’s individual foil tilt in the 30th Southeast Asian Games’ fencing competition Tuesday was tough.
The contest’s Round of 8 saw an all-Filipino clash between the 17-year-old and her teammate, Maxine Esteban. Catantan started strong, before holding on to the 15-11 victory.
“Sobrang lungkot po talaga kasi parehas po talaga kaming nag-prepare para dito. Kailangan po talagang may malaglag na isa sa aming dalawa. Sobrang sad po talaga,” she lamented.
Catantan then headed into the semis, where she fell to Singapore’s Amita Marie Berthier — the very same fencer who beat her in the gold medal match in the 2017 Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“Nanggigigil na rin po ako,” she said of Berthier with a chuckle.
“Pero yun. Soon matatalo ko rin po siya talaga.”
Of course, Catantan would have wanted to win the gold medal, but the former UAAP Juniors Most Valuable Player with the University of the East remained grateful with for she has achieved.
“Siyempre po sobrang naghihinayang kasi po gusto ko po talaga mag-gold medal. Pero thankful pa rin and blessed kasi nakakuha pa rin po ako ng bronze medal,” said Catantan.
“Kailangan ko pang mag-training, kailangan ko pa talagang mag-double time para makakuha ako ng gold medal.”
