Karate champ Franco feels doubly blessed

NAYPYITAW—Life was never easy for karate-do’s Ramon Antonio Franco.

Despite the odds, though, the 28-year-old fighter continued to enjoy good fortune this year.

Franco ruled the 55 kg division of men’s individual kumite late Saturday, more than a month after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” miraculously spared his family in Tacloban City while he was training in Iran for the regional competition.

“I guess somebody up there is watching over me,” said Franco a day after pulling off an 8-6 escape act against the heavily favored Muhammad Fidaly Sanif of Brunei.

Franco’s first gold medal in the SEA Games since 2007 was the fourth for the country here Saturday after the boxers had won three. It also raised the Philippines’ output to seven  overall after four days of action.

“All the difficulties I experienced in training, and being away from the family while the typhoon hit Tacloban— they made me stronger mentally and physically,” said Franco, a criminology graduate and already part of the PH men’s kumite team that won silver in the 2011 SEA Games.

He showed his newfound strength by overpowering three opponents to secure karate-do’s lone individual gold in these Games.