The Philippines continues to shine in the ongoing 32nd Southeast Asian Games as they bagged eight more gold medals on Saturday, May 13, bringing their total gold medal haul to an impressive 37.
The Filipino athletes have been dominating in various events, displaying their strength, skill, and determination.
Kirstie Elaine Alora, a veteran in the Philippine taekwondo team, won her fourth gold medal in the women's -73kg class, defeating her Vietnamese opponent in the final.
Alora’s victory gave the Philippine taekwondo team its fourth gold for the day following Kurt Barbosa, Arven Alcantara, and Samuel Morrison's wins.
In tennis, Ruben Gonzales and Francis Alcantara won the gold medal in the Men's Doubles competition, beating Indonesia in three sets. This win marked the Philippines’ 36th gold medal in the biennial event.
Samuel Morrison also secured his second gold medal in the men’s middleweight division at the Southeast Asian Games, defeating Indonesia’s Nicholas Armanto in a thrilling match.
Arven Alcantara, after years of frustration, finally clinched his first-ever gold medal in an exhilarating final against Thailand’s Chaichon Cho in the men’s flyweight division.
Alcantara’s victory marked the 33rd gold medal for the Philippines in the Games, a momentous achievement that occurred just moments after Kurt Bryan Barbosa secured his third consecutive Games gold in the men’s finweight category.
Ian Clark Bautista successfully defended his throne in the men’s under-57 kg category, delivering the Philippines’ first gold in the boxing competitions.
Bautista displayed dominance throughout the match, earning a solid unanimous victory in the semifinals against Myanmar’s Naing Latt, which led him to claim his third SEA Games gold.
The Philippines clinched its fourth and last gold in SEA Games athletics courtesy of Frederick Ramirez, Umajesty Williams, Joyme Sequita, and Michael Carlo del Prado, who grabbed the spotlight in the final event of the athletics competitions, beating Thailand by just one hundredth of a second in the 4x400m relay.
