ABS-CBN News

<h3>Lopez ends PH drought in Asian taekwondo </h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2016/sports2/04/20/pauline-louise-lopez-in-training-instagram-042016.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Pauline Louise Lopez in training. Photo from her Instagram page</div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Pauline Louise Lopez toppled defending South Korean champion Lee Ah-Reum, 8-6, on Wednesday in the women’s 57-kilogram finals for the country&#x27;s only gold medal at the close of the 22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships at the Manila Marriott Hotel grand ballroom in Pasay City. Buoyed by her two thrilling wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals earlier, Lopez wasn’t intimidated by the fancied Lee, also an Incheon Asian Games champion, staking herself to a 7-3 lead with an axe kick to the head of the South Korean near the end of the second round.She kept her poise in the third and last round, jacking her lead to 8-4 while holding off her opponent, to end a 17-year-old gold-medal drought after Roberto “Kitoy” Cruz, now the national coach, last won in the 1999 edition also held in Manila.“This is all surreal, but I always trusted in God’s plan for me so this (victory) is so sweet,” added the comely Pinay jin, who was embraced by his maternal grandfather Adriano dela Cruz, after the match. “My father (former national athlete) Efren called me up from the US after I lost in the quarterfinals to encourage me, and forget about what happened earlier,” added Lopez, who failed in the Asian Olympic qualifiers last Sunday. The 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games gold medalist previously fashioned a nerve-wracking 7-5 semifinal triumph over Iran’s Jeddi Mahsla, a world championship bronze medalist, setting up a title showdown with Lee, who vanquished Chna’s Fen Fen Shao, 4-0, in the other semis match. Trailing, 4-5, and with the clock winding down, Lopez soared, striking with a jumping, turning 45-degree kick that smashed into Mahsa’s body - worth three points - to snatch the match from the jaws of defeat. It was the second straight dramatic victory in the day for the 19-year-old Fil-Am, who also won a tense 6-3 decision over Thailand’s Sae-Lao Thanapa in the quarterfinals. Behind 0-1 after two rounds, Lopez, a 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, opened the last round with a cut roundhouse kick to the stunned Thai’s face – good for three points - to turn the tide, 4-1.The 2013 Nanjing Asian Youth Games veteran scored two more points with kicks to the body of the Thai, whose desperate efforts with under a minute remaining went for naught.The Philippines earlier secured a silver from Kristopher Robert Uy and a bronze courtesy of Olympic qualifier Kirstie Elaine Alora. <div><a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/generalsports/news/2016/04/16/taekwondo-jin-alora-books-ticket-rio-olympics-10688" target="_blank">(READ: Taekwondo jin Alora books ticket to Rio Olympics)</a></div>But Tuesday’s other quarterfinalist, rookie Eddtone Lumasac, couldn’t hold on to his lead and eventually faded to Kazakhstan’s Yerzyhan Abylkas, who used a last-gasp turning side kick to the head in scoring a come-from-behind 9-8 victory in the men’s 74-kg. division. Ahead 8-6 with barely 20 seconds to go, Lumasac relaxed, allowing the Kazakh to score three points with his final kick and advance to semis of the tournament sponsored by Smart, PLDT, Meralco, MVP Sports Foundation, Resorts World Manila and the Philippine Sports Commission.Earlier, Lopez reasserted her mastery over Malaysia Nurul Farah Alisa Roslan, 4-1, in the round-of-16 match while Lumasac crushed Syria’s Mohammad Ghanem, 16-3, in the same round.Bowing out early were Keith Sembrano and Kaye Shannele Romuar in the men’s 68-kg and women’s 62-kg opening bouts, respectively.Sembrano lost lopsidedly, 4-22, to Iran’s Alireza Alyari, after which the host camp noted that the Iranian’s body was wet that could have short-circuited or grounded the sensitive electronic system so that the Filipinos’ blows failed to register. “This is why we had a coaches meeting when this was observed because this is one way some players are able to cheat (the scoring system),” explained head coach Kitoy Cruz, who attended the meeting.Romuar dropped a close 2-3 decision to Vietnam’s Thi Hang Pam in her first match. For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Pauline Louise Lopez toppled defending South Korean champion Lee Ah-Reum, 8-6, on Wednesday in the women’s 57-kilogram finals for the country's only gold medal at the close of the 22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships at the Manila Marriott Hotel grand ballroom in Pasay City. 

Lopez wins PH's lone gold in Asian taekwondo tilt

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Sports

Lopez wins PH's lone gold in Asian taekwondo tilt

ABS-CBN News

Published April 21, 2016 12:14 AM PHT

Read More:

Taekwondo

22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships

Pauline Louise Lopez

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.