Patrick King Perez wins poomsae bronze at the Asian Games.–ASIAN GAMES POOL PHOTO
HANGZHOU, China—Patrick King Perez delivered the first podium performance for Team Philippines at the 19th Asian Games with a bronze medal in men’s individual poomsae on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Southeast Asian Games champion gifted himself and the country with a third-place finish after dropping his semifinal showdown against Chinese Taipei’s Ma Yun Zhong at the Lin’an Sports and Culture Exhibition Centre here.
“This is the Asian Games and I still couldn’t believe that I won a bronze,’’ said Perez after compiling 6.910 points in the event that merged both freestyle and recognized disciplines.
Perez scored 7.640 points in a near-flawless routine in the recognized and 6.180 in the freestyle where the Filipino was cheered on persistently by the crowd.
Patrick King Perez wins poomsae bronze at Asian Games.–ASIAN GAMES POOL PHOTO
Ma impressed the judges and received a total of 7.450 points on the strength of his 8.000 in the recognized act and the 6.900 in the freestyle sequence.
“My target was to get the gold. But I’m really happy with my bronze,” said Perez.
He survived Nepal’s Prem Bahadur Limbu in the quarterfinals and scored 7.560 points after his routine, automatically rewarding the Filipino earlier with a sure bronze.
The Dela La Salle University standout in the UAAP arranged the semifinal clash with Ma, whose victory pushed him in a gold-medal match versus South Korea’s Kang Wanjin.
Jocel Lyn Ninobla, meanwhile, wasn’t as lucky as Perez, failing to progress to the quarterfinals after compiling 7.560 behind South Korean Cha Yeaeun’s 7.680.
Perez defeated Souksavanh Chanthilath of Laos in the round of 16 before facing Limbu in the quarters.