Three PH wrestlers nail SEA Australasian gold medals

NATIONAL wrestler Jhonny Morte struck gold in the inaugural Southeast Asian and Australasian Wrestling Championships recently at Yishun Sports Hall in Singapore.

Morte, bronze medalist in the SEA Games last year in Burma (Myanmar), toppled his Vietnamese foe to clinch victory in the men’s 61-kilogram freestyle event.

The Zamboanga native was also named best wrestler of the eight-nation meet where the Filipinos also brought home two more gold medals, nine silvers and two bronzes.

“I was surprised when I won the most technical wrestler award,”  said Morte, 19.  “I just studied all those moves from the Internet.”

Alvin Lobreguito, who narrowly lost the award to Morte, also won the gold after defeating his Malaysian opponent in the 57kg freestyle category while 34-year-old Francis Villanueva prevailed in the 125kg class.

“Our wrestlers won these medals with the help of our coaches,” said Wrestling Association of the Philippines president Alvin Aguilar.

Efrelyn Crosby (60kg), May Rose Marinas (58kg), Minalyn Foy-Os (55kg) and Grace Loberanes (53kg) nailed silver medals in women’s freestyle while Robertson Torres (97kg) and Jason Balabal (86kg) also settled for second in the men’s side.

Pocketing silvers in the Greco-Roman event were Smael Trazona (80kg), Jefferson Manatad (66kg) and Noel Norada (59kg). Joseph Angana (65kg) and Rosegyn Malabja (48kg) were freestyle bronze medalists.  June Navarro