Daniel Phouk will be Cambodia’s first medalist at the ongoing Asian Youth Games in Bahrain. He has delivered the bronze medal for the Kingdom in the boy’s 51-55kg pencak silat event.
He was comprehensively beaten 1-51 by Indonesian favourite Furgon Habbil Winata in the semi-finals but that does not matter as he now has the bronze in the bag.
Daniel had received a bye in his opening bout and had qualified for the semi-finals without raising a sweat.
However the gulf of difference between him and his Indonesian rival was clearly evident in a one-sided semi-final.
As there is no fight off for the bronze, Daniel will relish the bronze in his debut at the Games.
Furgon, who defeated Kazakhstan’s Abdurakhman Abzhanov 74-30 in his first round match, will take on Abdulla Qassim of Bahrain in the final.
Abdulla had received a bye in the first round. He was then gifted a place in the final after Pakistan’s Abdullah Zaheer was disqualified and Tajikistan’s Firdavs Bakhtibekdoza did not start in their first round tie yesterday.
