Dagupeño karateka bags gold in Vietnam
A YOUNG karateka from this city bagged anew a gold medal at the International Open Karatedo Championships held on May 24 to 27 at Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.
Incoming-Grade 9 student at the Mother Goose Special School System, John Enrico Vasquez brought home one of the two gold medals won by the 10-man Philippine Typhoons delegation.
Vasquez defeated a Vietnamese in his first and final fights to win the gold in the individual advanced Kata cadet for 14 to 15 years old. He scored 3-0 in his first fight and 3-2 in the finals.
The International Open Karatedo Championships in Vietnam is Vasquez’s second gold in his international stints. His first was in 2010 held in the Philippines and has since won silver and bronze medals in international competitions.
“This is for God, the Philippines and our city,” he said about his successful Vietnam stint.
It was his father, Dr. Enrico Vasquez, the chief instructor of the Filipinas Wado Ryu Karate and chairman of the Board of Trustee of the Philippine Karatedo Federation NSA Inc., who saw his potential in karate when he was barely three years old. He has since become his trainer.
A consistent regional (Luzon leg) and national champion of the Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy, the young Vasquez reaped more than 50 gold and dozens of silver and bronze medals in different invitational karate championships sanctioned by the Philippine Karate Federation National Sports Association Inc.
The Philippines Typhoons snatched two gold, three silvers and four bronzes.
The competition was participated in by 11 countries, namely Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Macau, Laos and Chinese Taipei. (Tita Roces)
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