December 8, 2019 – The Philippines settles with the bronze medal in the women’s team sabre finals after losing to Thailand inside the World Trade Center.
The four-woman Philippine team falls behind to the Thais in the early game, with the lead going to as much as 13 points in the fifth bout.
Allaine Nicole Cortey started to clip the lead down to eight, but Thailand’s Tonpan Pokeaw scored five points to give Thailand a 30-18 push in the sixth bout.
Queen Denise Dalmacio faced Pornsawan Ngernrungrunagroj in the seventh bout, but the Thai did not let the Philippines take the charge, leaving the bout with a 35-25 Thai lead.
Cortey and Tonkhaw Phokaew faced in the eight, with both scoring five points but Thailand still holds a 40-30 lead.
Individual sabre gold medalist Jylyn Nicanor took a huge task to score 15 points for a comeback, facing a familiar opponent in Pokeaw, whom she had defeated in the individual semifinals.
Pokeaw staged a five-to-nothing run, both avenging her defeat to Nicanor and taking Thailand to the gold medal match.
The Philippines will join Singapore in the bronze medal podium, after the latter were defeated by Vietnam 45-40.
Meanwhile, the Philippines men’s fencing team goes empty-handed in the team epee event after a 45-22 thumping from Singapore.
