PH golfers deliver 2 golds in Asian Games

FILE: GOLD WINNER. Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso holds the Philippine flag after winning the women’s individual gold in the 18th Asian Games golf competition at the Pondok Indah Golf and Country Club in Indonesia on Sunday. (Photo by Judith Caringal/Radyo Pilipinas2 via PNA)

JAKARTA — The Philippines added two more golds in its medal haul in the ongoing 18th Asian Games here.

Filipino-Japanese Yuka Saso topped the women’s individual event and annexed the team gold with Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go in the golf competitions at the Pondok Indah Golf and Country Club.

Pagdanganan, a student at the University of Arizona, also took the bronze in the women’s individual event.

The Philippines got two more bronze medals courtesy of pencak silat’s Dines Dumaan and Jefferson Rhey Loon, who lost their respective semifinal matches.

Dumaan absorbed a 0-5 loss to Malaysia’s Muhammad Faizul M Nasir in the men’s Class B 50kg to 55kg category, while Loon succumbed to Vietnam’s Ngoc Toan Nguyen, 0-5, in the men’s Class D 60kg to 65kg class.

The Philippines, which has three golds and 10 bronzes, is now ranked No. 14 in the medal tally board.

Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz won the women’s 53kg event in weightlifting on Tuesday.

“With three gold medals, the Philippines has surpassed the one gold medal of the 2014 Asian Games. Well done,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas said in a statement.

“We’re very happy that the three gold medals are funded and supported by MVSPF. Mabuhay ang Atletang Pilipino,” Al Panlilio, president of the MVP Sports Foundation, for his part, said.

Meanwhile, boxer James Palicte bowed to Uzbekistan’s Shunlor Abdurasulov, 0-5, in the preliminary round of the men’s lightweight (60kg) event at the Jakarta International Exhibition Center in Kemayoran.

Roger Ladon and Irish Magno were scheduled to play late in the evening. Ladon will face Prem Chaudhary of Nepal in the flyweight (52kg) class while Magno will meet Pang Chol Mi of DRP Korea in the women’s flyweight (51kg) category.