MANILA, Philippines — Host country competitors fought hard but ultimately fell short of a podium finish during the Day 2 action of the prestigious Karate One-Youth League Manila. The frontline Filipino karatekas put on a resilient display at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City but were unable to secure medals against elite international fields.
The multi-day global tournament, sanctioned by the World Karate Federation (WKF), serves as a high-stakes proving ground for elite youth karatekas testing their skills on a world-standard stage.
Eduardo Berco III delivered the most deep-running performance among the local contingent on Day 2, fighting his way through multiple elimination brackets in the hyper-competitive junior male kumite -61kg division.
- The Early Setback: Berco dropped his opening tournament bout to Ukraine’s world-class competitor, Maksym Viechikanov, in a tough 1-7 decision.
- The Lifeline: Because Viechikanov dominated his side of the pool to reach the division finals, Berco was automatically pulled into the repechage rounds for a back-door shot at a bronze medal.
- The Resolute Run: Showing incredible grit, the General Santos City standout kept his medal hopes alive by securing consecutive victories—a dominant 7-1 win over Scotland’s Logan Morrison followed by a tactical 3-1 victory against Mwtt Witharana.
- The Final Threshold: Berco’s exhaustive run finally ended in the subsequent round after absorbing a 1-5 loss to Macau’s Hang Lao Cheok. He concluded his international campaign with a respectable seventh-place finish overall.
Several other key Filipino medal prospects advanced far into their brackets before suffering tight or decisive defeats just outside the podium slots:
1. Rei Alec Servan (Junior Female -53kg)
Servan came closest to cracking the medal rounds on the women’s side. Facing off against Australia’s Lucy Choi-Lawrence in a grinding quarterfinal matchup, the scoreboard sat deadlocked at 1-1 deep into the final seconds. In a heartbreaking finish, Choi-Lawrence managed to land the deciding point just before the final buzzer, handing Servan a narrow 2-1 defeat.
2. Zian Alexander Sing (Junior Male -61kg)
Competing in the same division as Berco, Sing put on a dominant technical showcase early on. After drawing a first-round bye, he outclassed Brunei’s Awanku Ahmad Izz Aiman with a flawless 5-0 victory in the second round. However, his podium ambitions were cut short in the semi-final phase following a tough 3-1 loss to Ukraine’s Sukrob Sadullayev.
3. Kevin Llup (Junior Male -55kg)
Llup displayed absolute mental toughness in the earlier flights, advancing past a grueling all-Filipino showdown by narrowly edging out compatriot Bernardo Fresco via a tight referee’s decision. However, his run ended abruptly in the quarterfinal pool after absorbing a heavy 14-4 defeat against Saudi Arabia’s clinical Abdulrahman Arafat.