Dagupeño ‘karate kid’ is SEA Games medalist
JASON Macaalay of Dagupan City has brought pride to Dagupan for bringing home two medals from the recent South East Asian (SEA) Games.
The 20-year old athlete won a bronze medal in the individual karate-do event and a silver medal for his team’s efforts in the 26th SEA Games held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from November 11 to 22.
Macaalay has been into the sport since he was nine and is a member of the Wado Ryu Club.
The Philippine Karate-do Team won a total of 12 medals, including four gold, three silver and five bronze.
In a television interview Monday, Macaalay narrated that he and his Malaysian opponent in the individual competition had to spar three times after the same number of draws, forcing the referee to adjudicate the fight, which went in his favor.
The Philippines ranked sixth over-all in the SEA Games after hauling a total of 169 medals.
BASKETBALL
In basketball, the men’s team took home the gold, while the women’s team won silver.
Chris Calaguio, a former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player, however, said during a press conference at the Lyceum-Northwestern University (LNU) here Tuesday that the country sends professional players to the SEA Games, making them more competitive compared to other countries in the region which send college varsity players.
But Calaguio, who played in the LNU’s Goodwill Basketball Games and Entertainment Show featuring a team composed of actors and former PBA players against the LNU Dukes varsity team, pointed out that Filipino basketball players are actually superior compared to those from other countries that participate in the SEA Games. (PIA-Pangasinan)
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