Athletes from Iloilo and Guimaras gave honor to the country after winning medals in the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
Showing the entire repertoire, Ilonggo Arnel Mandal captured the gold medal in wushu sanda men’s -56 kilogram category at the Cầu Giấy Sporting Hall in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Mandal, a native of Iloilo City, defeated Indonesia’s Laksmana Pandu Pratama in the finals, 2-0. It was a bittersweet victory for the Ilonggo fighter after Ilonggo Francis Solis, Gideon Padua and Clement Tabugara bowed out in the semifinals to secure the bronze medals.
Meanwhile, Guimaras pride Joida Gagnao displayed great athleticism after winning the bronze medal in the women’s 5000m, clocking 17:36 seconds. Ilonggo Alfrence Braza, moreover, won the bronze medal in athletics.
Gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, chipped in two more gold medals for the country after topping the men’s floor exercise and men’s rings.
Fil-Am Aleah Finnegan Cruz also captured two gold medals in the women’s artistic gymnastics all-around team and vault and a silver medal in the individual all around.
Kim Mangrobang also brought home two gold medals after ruling the women’s individual duathlon event and women’s individual triathlon event with teammate Raven Alcoseba finishing with bronze.
Fil-Spanish Fernando Tan Caseres bagged the men’s individual triathlon gold as teammate John Leerams Chicano fell short to end up with the silver.
Agatha Wong sustained her menacing form after snatching the gold medal in the wushu women’s taolu taijijian event, scoring 9.71 points. She also had silver in the women’s taolu taijiquan event.
Pinoy vaulter Ernest John Obiena retained the pole vault gold medal with his 5.46 meters mark on late Saturday. Fellow Filipino Hockett delos Santos finished with a silver medal.
Jiu-jitsu fighters Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez also notched a gold each in the women’s -48 and -62 kg, respectively, while fencer Samantha Catantan also notched gold in the women’s foil.
Adding the country’s medal-haul, kickboxers Gina Iniong-Araos and Jean Claude Saclag also secured gold medals, while Renalyn Dacquel, Gretel de Paz Cordero, Zephania Ngaya and Claudine Veloso Decena claimed silver medals.
Also ending up with silver medals were women’s 200 meter sprinter Kyla Richardson, Carlo Peña of jiu-jitsu, fencer Noelito Jose Jr. and rower Joanie Delcano.
Melvin Calano and Kayla Richardson of athletics also won the bronze medal while swimmer Miranda Renner, men’s 3×3 basketball team and rowers Cris Nievarez, Edgar Ilas and Zuriel Sumintaceda added bronze medals for the Philippines.IMT Sports
