DOHA, 15 December 2006 — Rene Sornito Catalan defeated Vietnam’s Phan Quoc Vinh in wushu sanshou yesterday to give the Philippines its fourth gold medal on the penultimate day of the 15th Asian Games in the Qatari capital.
He beat his opponent 2-0 in the final of the men’s 52kg division to become the only non-Chinese winner of the day’s finals. China took four golds in wushu.
“I dedicate this win to everyone back home, my family, the president of the Philippines (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), to the federation and to the Philippines’ Sports Committee,” said an ecstatic Catalan.
Catalan reached the finals via a referee-stopped contest over Laos’ Khamsoun-thone Phoukhong in the first round of their three-round contest, in a fitting celebration of his 28th birthday last Tuesday.
Despite his impressive record as a four-time world champion, Catalan said he had to prepare hard for Phan, a world silver medal winner.
“I did a lot of preparation for my Vietnamese opponent as he is the toughest fighter in this weight division,” he said.
Phan said he had been hampered by the beatings he had taken from previous bouts.
“I have very serious injuries in my left shoulder and right leg. So I had nothing to fight with. I could only fight with one leg and one arm. My coach told me to do my best and I knew it would take every last effort,” he told reporters.
Another Filipino, Eduard Ayangwa Folayang, settled for the silver in the heaviest category, 70kg, bowing to China’s Xu Yanfei.
Folayang, who got a black eye and a leg injury in previous matches, said the strength of the competition in the earlier fights zapped his strength.
“I am so tired, especially because I was paired with some of the toughest opponents in my division. I found it hard with my injuries as well,” he said.
The medals won by Catalan and Folayang raised the Philippines harvest to a total of 19 — four golds, six silvers, and nine bronzes — to place No. 18th as of 7 p.m. yesterday.
The Philippines’ other gold medals were won by boxer Violito Payla in the flyweight division, boxer Joan Tipon in the bantamweight division, and cue artist Antonio Gabica in the 9-ball event in billiards.
The Asian Games will end today, with Filipino star Lea Salonga as the top performer in the closing ceremonies.
Briton David Atkins, the creative mind behind the quadrennial event’s opening extravaganza, earlier paid tribute to Salonga as a “fantastic performer.”
“The musical directors are quite happy with her,” he was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as saying.
Salonga, who shot to international fame in the world premiere of the London production of “Miss Saigon,” will be among five artists performing in the main stage during the ceremony’s 50-minute fantasy show.
Rising above the magnificent Khalifa Stadium, Salonga will appear to be floating on a cloud as she sings “Triumph of the One,” a stirring ballad written as a tribute to the athletes of the Doha Games.
“We think that Lea Salonga is the best Asian for the role,” said Atkins, who created the Opening Ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics.
According to Atkins, the closing rites will be more of a celebration than a formal cultural show.
“The opening is a lot more formal, more technically challenging,” he said.
