SAKHIR, Bahrain-With victory in the Asian Youth Games, Zeth Gabriel Bueno found a renewed sense of purpose.
The 15-year-old Bueno was one of three muay performers who delivered gold in a spectacular Sunday show for the Philippines at the Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB), helping sustain the country’s drive in the 45-nation meet.
Under the bright lights of the main hall of the EWB, Bueno impressed the judges and earned a 9.17 average for the gold in the boys’ 14-15 wai kru final.
Thailand’s Daonuea Phuangmali scored 9.0 to take silver, while Malaysia’s Jaethan Jonathan Quan earned 8.53 for bronze.
Muay’s contributions hiked the Philippine team’s gold medal haul to six
The result helped refocus 15-year-old Bueno, who admitted getting distracted by other interests-video games among them-in recent months, which kept him from fully dedicating his time to wushu.
‘I admit I’m inconsistent in training, and my parents scold me when I don’t train regularly,’ said Bueno, a 10th grader at Plaridel Integrated National High School.
Bueno, whose father makes purple yam delicacy and his mother a housewife in Nagcarlan, Laguna, dreams of becoming a seafarer but said he is open to all possibilities, including focusing on the sport and vying for a spot in the national team in the future.
Although already three years in the sport, Bueno says he hasn’t been fully dedicated (change this fully dedicated) to training, but vows to do much better now that he has learned he has what it takes on the international stage.
‘I will give my best if I make it to the national team,’ he said.
Lyle Anie Ngina also came through with an impressive individual display in wai kru, while Jan Brix Ramiscal and Tyron Jamborillo delivered the third gold medal.
Ngina got 9.0 points to top the girls’ wai kru 14 to 15.
Malaysia’s Auryelle Xzandra Bobby earned silver with a score of 8.8, while Thailand’s Kittima Yotsombat scored 8.6 for bronze.
Ramiscal and Jamborillo got a score of 9.20 for the gold as the United Arab Emirates’ Yousef Rakan and Aziz Alhammadi earned silver with an 8.30 and Malaysia’s Bethany Yun Yunn Lai and Jaethan Jonathan Quan scored 8.27 for bronze.
It was a mix of elation and anguish for Ramiscal, who got edged out by Thailand’s Pimpichien Chaiwan for the gold medal in boys’ 16-17 final by countback after both ended up with a 9.23 average.
One of the five judges scored Ramiscal 91 while Chaiwan’s lowest score was 92.
Iraq’s Sajjad Hamzah Ali Rabeeh bagged the bronze with a score of 8.47.
Jasmine Dagame got 8.93 points in the girls’ 16-17 final, good for silver, as Thailand’s Rungthipwa Koakaw topped the event with a 9.17 score.
Malaysia’s Ariesya Dania Binti Abdul Latip bagged the bronze medal with her 8.63 points.
Pi Durden Wangkay, meanwhile, showed determination far beyond his years by turning heartbreak into triumph and adding to the Philippines’ gold medal haul in the games.
The 16-year-old Wangkay stormed to victory in the 200 meters at the Asian Youth Games late Saturday at Bahrain National Stadium, clinching the Philippines’ third gold medal of the meet just a day after a heartbreaking loss.
‘I wasn’t winning in the 100 and that made me sad,’ said Wangkay, who wound up fifth in the century dash. ‘But I changed my mindset, imagining that I was competing in a local race.’
Wangkay was among the leaders as the pack came off the turn. He surged ahead with 40 meters to go, and the small Filipino crowd erupted as he crossed the finish line in 21.76 seconds.
Chu Chao-Feng of Chinese Taipei bagged silver in 21.90 and Kim Sunwoo of South Korea clocked 21.93 for the bronze.
The Philippine celebration continued as Naomi Cesar bagged the silver medal in the girls’ 800-m run in two minutes and 8.69 seconds.
China’s Song Jinping won the event in 2:07.84, while Indonesia’s Gesndis Aulia Syafitri earned the bronze in 2:24.98.