Cordillera wushu athletes Jones Llabres Inso and Gideon Fred Padua gave the country two bronze medals in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The Baguio raised Inso, a Saint Louis University student, took the bronze in the all around (combined) taijijian and taijiquan Monday.
Inso finished second in taijiquan and fourth in taijian for a combined score of 19.486.
On Wednesday, Padua, a Pines City National High School graduate, assured the country of its third bronze medal after getting past the quarterfinals in the men’s 60 kilogram division.
Padua beat Turkmenistan’s Agajumageldi Yazymov in the quarterfinals, 2-0, however, failed to fight in the semifinals against Shoja Panahigelehkolaei of Iran due to an injury.
Clemente Tabugara, Jr. provided the country its fourth bronze medal when he bowed to Indonesian Samuel Marbun, 0-2, in the semifinals.
Wushu sanda has already assured the country of a silver medal with Arnel Mandal gaining a finals seat in men’s 56 kg. after beating Avazbek Amanbekov, 2-0, in the semifinals. He will be facing local hero Jiang Haidong in the finals Thursday.
Another product of the Wushu Federation of the Philippines Baguio-Cordillera, Thornton Lou Sayan (nangun), will also see action in the quadrennial event that has been delayed by a year.
Nine athletes are entered in wushu with 2018 bronze medalist Agatha Wong leading the squad. Wong will see action in the women’s side of taijijuan and taijiquan.
The best finish for wushu in the Asiad was a silver both in sanda – by Rolly Chulhang in 2002 and Jean Claude Saclag in 2014.
Last Sunday, Patrick King Perez took the bronze in taekwondo poomsae for the country’s first medal. Pigeon Lobien