Dexler Bolambao successfully defended his men’s full-contact live stick title after a unanimous decision win over Cambodia’s own Ty Brakponlue in the final, pacing the Philippine national arnis team’s campaign on the second day of competitions in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday.
This Bolambao title came after Ella Alcoseba took down Myanmar’s standout Moe Moe Aye in a similar unanimous decision victory in the women’s side of the same event, also in the bantamweight category, at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center.
(C) PSC-POC Media Group
These two golds from the Filipino arnisadors are the 49th and 50th golds of the county in the Games, inching closer to surpassing the 52 golds collected in last year’s edition in Hanoi.
Bolambao and Alcoseba dominated their respective semifinal opponents, both in unanimous decisions, to reach the finals.
Bolambao took down Vietnam’s Pham Van Phuong, and Alcoseba shut out Nguyen Thi Yen Linh, also from Vietnam.
Jude Oliver Marie Rodriguez could not make it three and finished with the silver in the women’s full-contact live stick lightweight after getting tripped by Vietnam’s Vu Thi Tanh Binh in a unanimous decision loss.
Niño Talledo added a bronze after absorbing a defeat in the semifinals of the men’s lightweight against Vietnam’s Truong Van Cuong.
