MANILA, Philippines – Filipino jins are set to continue the medal surge for the Philippines, a day after the taekwondo team won the country’s first gold medal in the 25th Southeast Asian Games.

The 2007 SEA Games silver medalist Mary Antonette "Toni" Rivero will take on Laos' Valy Mathmanisone in the welterweight division, according to the event’s official website.

Other taekwondo matches slated on Thursday include Marlon Avenido vs Indonesian Basuki Nugroho (welterweight), Criselda Roxas vs Vietnamese Ha Thi Nguyen (middleweight), Kristie Alora vs Malaysian Lee Wan Yuen (heavyweight), and Alexander Briones vs Vietnam’s Dinh Quang Toan (heavyweight).

“Everybody has a chance for the gold,” Alora told Gerry Carpio of The Philippine Star. The trio of Carla Lagman, Francesca Alarilla and Rani Ann Ortega bagged the women’s Poomsae event gold medal on Wednesday.

The taekwondo matches will be held at the Booyong Gymnasium of the National University Center.  

Meanwhile, Philippine pool legends Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamente will team up for the 9-Ball Pool Double competition against Thais Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Surathep Phoochalam.

Warren Kiamco and Reynaldo Grandea will also see action at the Convention Hall in Don Chan Palace versus Praprut Chaithanasakun and Thawat Sujaritthurakarn of Thailand for the English Billiard Double event.

Ping-pong

Filipino table tennis players, meantime, only scored one win on Wednesday after losing all their matches on Tuesday.

The men’s team swept Cambodia, 3-0, at the Convention Hall of National University.

Rodel Valle defeated Ngoy Buthong, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5, while Henberd Ortalla beat Sam Borath, 11-8, 11-6, 11-2. Ting Ledesma sealed the win for the Philippines with an 11-3, 11-1, 11-7 victory over Tang Hov.

They lost to Indonesia, however, in the evening. Yon Mardiyono defeated Richard Gonzales, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 and Muhammad Hussein beat Ledesma, 3-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5. Dian Jacobs posted an 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4 win over Ortalla.

The women’s team, meantime, lost to Singapore, 0-3. Feng Tian Wei swept Beverly Villar, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6, and Sun Bei Bei edged Chrisma Capistrano, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3. Zena Sim overwhelmed Henezey Aragon, 11-2, 11-3, 11-3.

Upcoming matches

Other Filipinos will start their bid for a SEA Games medal on Thursday in the following events: muay, weightlifting, tennis and beach volleyball.

May Libao will face Bounchanh Sengpaserth (pinweight) of Laos while Harold Gregorio will tackle Thai Sakdithat Sakdarat (welterweight) in the muay events at the Beung Kha Ngong Sport.

Kelle Rojas, meantime, will kick off her weightlifting bid in the 48-kilogram category at the Pornsawan Gym in Pornnsawan School. Other weightlifters entered in the 48-kg category are Thai Pramsiri Bunphithak, Vietnamese Ngo Thi Nga and Malaysian Zaira Zakaria.

The men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete at the Tennis Court of the National Sport Complex while the women’s beach volleyball team will play at the Beach Volleyball Stadium.