Pinoy rookie takes silver in Asia-Oceania sambo tourney

Filipina rookie Sophia Nicole Novino held her own for nearly four minutes before succumbing to Kazakhstan’s Karakat Rakhybay in the final of the women’s youth -47-kilogram division, Wednesday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Novino, who is competing in her first major international meet, delivered the Philippines’ first silver medal in the 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo Championships.
She battled Rakhybay to a 1-1 deadlock early on before bowing to her more experienced rival.
A back-to-back silver medalist in the world youth meet, Rakhybay pinned Novino with 24 seconds left in the four-minute affair, forcing the Pinay grappler to tap out.

