CHAMPIONS. Rhichien Yosorez (left) and Kylie Mallari won the mixed Mai Muay gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games at the King Saud University Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28, 2023. It was the second gold medal for Team Philippines after the victory of ju-jitsu fighter Kaila Jenna Napolis in the women's -52kg class. (Photo courtesy of Muaythai Association of the Philippines)
MANILA – Rhichien Yosorez and Kylie Mallari ruled the mixed Mai Muay event to give the Philippines another gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games at the King Saud University Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night (Friday morning in Manila).
Yosorez and Mallari tallied 9.20 points to beat compatriots Mai Philip Delarmino and Ariel Lampacan (9.03pts). D. Daniel and M. Binti Roslan of Malaysia (8.83) got the bronze.
In the women's Wai Kru, Islay Erika Bomogao scored 9.36 and settled for silver against Malaysian Jia Chi Yan with 9.50pts.
Yan scored 9.40 while Bomogao registered 9.26 in the semifinal round.
Meanwhile, Rudzma Abubakar defeated Dana Alghussein of Saudi Arabia, 30-27, to reach the semifinals of the women's -48kg class.
Abubakar will face Nirawan Tangchio of Thailand, who nipped Anastasiia Mykhailenko of Ukraine, 29-28.
Alghussein and Mykhailenko will square off in the first round of the repechage.
The Philippines claimed its first gold medal courtesy of ju-jitsu fighter Kaila Jenna Napolis last Wednesday.
The Filipinos also pocketed two silvers (Agatha Wong and Clemente Tabugara Jr.) and two bronzes (Jones Llabres Inso and Thornton Quieney Lou Sayan) from wushu and two more bronzes coming from Fierre Afan and Maria Aisa Ratcliff in wrestling.
"We're very happy with the results. We can still get a gold from Muay Thai," Team Philippines Chef de Mission and wrestling association president Alvin Aguilar told the Philippine News Agency.
With two golds, four silvers and four bronzes, the Philippines is at No. 20 in the medal tally board.
In the Top 10 are Ukraine (21 golds, 15 silvers and 12 bronzes), Kazakhstan (12-13-23), Saudi Arabia (9-17-18), United Arab Emirates (9-4-8), Uzbekistan (8-7-11), Independent Neutral Athlete (8-8-3), China (7-0-1), Hungary (6-2-4), Germany (6-1-6),
Turkiye is at No. 11 (5-2-4) followed by Egypt (5-1-2), Morocco (4-1-6), Brazil (3-7-6), Romania (3-5-4), Bahrain (3-2-5), Slovakia (3-2-1), France (2-5-6) and Iran (2-4-7).
A total of 1,657 athletes (913 male and 744 female) from 80 countries are competing in 16 sports, namely aikido, boxing, fencing, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, kendo, arm wrestling, kickboxing, muay thai, sambo, savate (French boxing), sumo, taekwondo, wrestling and wushu. (PNA)
