Honorio Banario, former ONE featherweight champion, and Emmanuel Cantores dominated their respective foes to advance to the semifinal of the low kick contest in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games at the Multi-Purpose Hall Gymnasium in Bac Ninh, Vietnam Monday night, May 9.
Banario and Cantores have joined teammate Jean Claude Saclag among those who secured at least a bronze medal for the Philippine kickboxing team.
The Team Lakay stalwart was aggressive from the get-go, using his mixed martial experience to turn back and overwhelm Tanoi Yermias Yohanes of Indonesia in the men's -71kg low kick.
Banario connected precise kicks but it was his powerful punches that pushed back the Indonesian en route to a sweep.
Cantores, for his part, also reigned supreme against Malaysia's Ain Kamarrudin for a 3-0 routing.
In full contact action, Darel Chulipas posted contrasting results and absorbed a 3-0 beating at the hands of Indonesian Salmri Pattisamallo in the men's -51kg division.