mengan bags 2nd gold

KEN Alieson Omengan captured a second gold medal for Team Philippines which added  two silvers and a bronze to its medal collection Friday in the 7th Asian junior wushu championships at Makati Coliseum.

The 15-year-old son of a police officer from Benguet captured the judges’ fancy and amassed  9.33 points in the boys’ 18-under nanquan (southern fist), beating Chio Wai Keon of Macau (9.24) and Bishal Thapa Sinjali of Nepal (9.16).

It was the third gold for the Filipinos in the four-day meet and second for Omengan, who last Thursday led the eight-man team exhibition squad to the title.

Omengan also redeemed himself after the country’s best hope finished eighth in the nanqun (staff) category Thursday.

“I really wanted to make up for my loss and make my country proud,” said Omengan who was cheered by a hometown crowd that included his father Chief Insp. Sonny Omengan.

Also bringing honors for the country were 10-year-old Liana Faith Andaya who grabbed two silvers and Christian Nicholas Lapitan who snared a bronze.

Andaya seemed assured of the gold when she scored 9.06 points after an impressive routine in the girls’ 12-under changquan (long fist). But China’s Yu HuiLin upstaged her later with a routine that earned  her 9.10 points.

Another Chinese beat Andaya for the gold in jianshu (straight sword) as Weiou Yiyin topped the event with 9.10 points against the Filipino’s 9.05.

China had eight golds and one silver to lead the tourney, followed by Hong Kong  with a gold-silver-bronze tally of 5-5-3 and Macau (5-3-5). Malaysia was  running fourth (3-3-5) while the Philippines stood fifth (3-3-1).