MANILA – Mitz Jalandoni delivered a sterling performance to spare the Philippines from a gold medal drought in the 9th Asian Pencak Silat Championships held recently in Ha Tinh, Vietnam.
Combining grace and power, the Iloilo City native bested India’s Disha Reddy and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Yen Linh to secure the gold medal in the Bebas (solo creative)
“Glory to God in the highest,” Jalandoni wrote on a social media post. “Thank you so much sa tiwala Ma’am Princess Jacel H. Kiram and Sir Inier Candor. Pati na rin sa mga coaches at sa napaka-solid na mga teammates.”
Jalandoni also teamed up with Aklanon Shara Jizmundo in the Ganda (double) division, where the pair settled for silver after falling short in the finals.
Jizmundo went on to capture another silver medal in the Tunggal (solo) class, contributing to the Philippines’ 18-medal haul in the 10-nation tournament.
Other silver medalists for the country included Kram Airam Carpio (Female Tanding Class A), Dines Dumaan (Male Tanding Class B), and Maricel Dela Torre (Female Tanding Class D).
The bronze medalists were Harold Ralph Ungaya, Cyrell Covon, Allimar Campos, Alvin Campos, Stephen Suazo, Angeline Virina, Hanna Mae Ibutnande, Jessa Dela Cruz, Ziara Oquindo, Fatima A-isha Hamsain, Mary Justine Acat, and Alfau Jan Abad.
Host country Vietnam dominated the competition with 17 golds, four silvers, and silver bronzes. Malaysia followed with a 7-3-4 medal tally, while Indonesia placed third with four golds, three silvers, and two bronzes./PN
