HIGHLIGHTS: SEA Games 2023

Alora back on top after decade-long wait

Taekwondo veteran Kirstie Alora ended a decade-long SEA Games gold drought after topping the women’s -73kg class for her fourth title overall.

Alora last won a SEA Games gold in 2013.

(READ: Taekwondo quartet powers late SEA Games gold surge)

PH tennis vets Alcantara, Gonzales join late gold rush

Veteran Filipino tennisters Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales joined the country’s late gold rush for the day, beating the Indonesian duo of Christopher Rungkat and Nathan Barki in the men’s doubles final, 2-6, 7-5, 10-5.

Alcantara and Gonzales had everything going right on the way to the final after sweeping Vietnam’s Dac Tien Nguyen and Van Phuong Nguyen a day prior.

(READ: Taekwondo, boxing, tennis fuel gold rush for PH in SEA Games 2023)

Taekwondo veteran Morrison completes golden farewell

Samuel Morrison claimed his fourth SEA Games gold just as the taekwondo jin announced his looming retirement from the national team.

The veteran ruled the men’s -87kg in his final SEA Games for the Philippine team, following his decision to retire from competitive taekwondo this year to focus on his family.

PH women’s volley down to bronze match as finals-bound Thailand bucks 1st-set scare in sweep

For the fourth straight time in SEA Games women’s volleyball, the Philippines is moving down to the bronze match after a straight-set beatdown at the hands of 28-year defending champion Thailand, 25-22, 25-9, 25-12.

With the loss, the Filipinas are still in contention for their first podium finish in 18 years and will face either Vietnam or Indonesia the bronze-medal duel on Sunday, May 14, 6 pm (Manila time).

Thailand, meanwhile, rises to its 17th straight gold-medal match dating back to 1989.

(READ: PH slips to 4th straight SEA Games women’s volley bronze match off Thai rout)

Arven Alcantara scores breakthrough taekwondo gold

Persistence paid off for taekwondo jin Arven Alcantara.

After four SEA Games, Alcantara finally copped a gold as he ruled the men’s -68kg division.

Olympian Kurt Barbosa extends taekwondo reign

Taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa clinched his third straight SEA Games gold medal as the Filipino Olympian ruled the men’s -54kg division by beating his Thai foe in the finale.

The victory gave the Philippines its 33rd gold overall.

Magno, Pasuit settle for boxing silver

Irish Magno and Riza Pasuit both settled for runner-up finishes in their respective weight classes as the Philippines went 1-of-4 in the boxing finals on Saturday.

Magno wound up with a silver for the third straight SEA Games after a unanimous decision loss in the women’s 54kg finals against Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong, the same opponent who eliminated her in the Tokyo Olympics.

Pasuit also absorbed a unanimous decision defeat to Vietnam’s Thi Linh Ha in the women’s 63kg as she moved up in weight after bagging a 57kg bronze last year.

First boxing gold courtesy of Bautista

Filipino boxer Ian Clark Bautista defended his throne in the men’s 57kg class after outclassing Indonesia’s Asri Udin via unanimous decision.

Bautista earned a perfect 30 from all five judges as he battered Udin for the Philippines’ first boxing gold in this SEA Games.

(READ: Bautista bags 1st boxing gold for PH, Ladon falls short of 3-peat bid)

Ladon falls in men’s 51kg boxing finals

Rogen Ladon saw his bid for a boxing three-peat in men’s 51kg crushed after a unanimous decision loss to Thailand’s Thanarat Saengphet.

Ladon settled for silver after ruling the event in the past two SEA Games.

Inan picks up 2nd weightlifting silver

Lovely Inan captured a second weightlifting silver for the Philippines in her SEA Games debut in the women’s 49kg division.

Inan – who saw action in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Korea just a week ago – lifted 78kg in the snatch and 100kg in the clean and jerk for a 178 total.

Her medal-clinching performance came just hours after 16-year-old Angeline Colonia opened the country’s campaign with a silver in the 45kg division.

Thailand’s Sanikun Tanasan emerged as the runaway winner with a golden total lift of 191kg off an 86kg in snatch and 105kg in clean and jerk.

Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana secured the bronze with a 78kg in snatch and a 95kg in clean and jerk for a 173kg total.

Dolar delivers aerobic gymnastics bronze

Charmaine Dolar gave the Philippines its lone medal – a bronze – in aerobic gymnastics.

The 31-year-old displayed grace in her routine and scored 17.30 points to finish third behind Vietnam’s Ha Vi Tran (18.366) and last year’s champion Chawisa Intakul of Thailand (17.7160).

It was the third bronze medal for Dolar, who scored the same feat in the 2019 Manila and 2021 Vietnam editions.

Fencing star Catantan pulled out of women’s team foil

Fencing star Samantha Catantan has been pulled out of the women’s team foil event after suffering a knee injury Friday.

National coach Ramil Endriano said they won’t risk it as Catantan’s condition may worsen.

“Hindi na namin isusugal, baka lumala (We won’t take a gamble, it might get worse),” said Endriano of Catantan, the Vietnam SEA Games foil gold medalist last year.

Catantan, the team skipper of the Penn State University Nittany Lions in the US NCAA Division 1, never got to play a finals’ rematch with nemesis Maxine Wong of Singapore, who eventually won the gold medal.

(READ: SEA Games title repeat crushed as fencer Sam Catantan suffers injury)

Gilas Pilipinas through to semifinals

Gilas Pilipinas advanced to the semifinals of the Southeast Asian Games men’s 5-on-5 basketball competitions after a 105-45 demolition of Singapore to end the group stage.

Six players scored in double figures as the Filipinos finished second in Group A with a 2-1 record.

The Philippines will either face defending champion Indonesia or Thailand in the semifinals, depending on which wins their Sunday clash for the top spot in Group B.

(READ: Gilas Pilipinas annihilates Singapore to punch SEA Games semis ticket)

Gilas Pilipinas Women vent ire on hapless Vietnam, stay on pace for slim gold hope

Gilas Pilipinas Women bounced back and then some after a crucial loss to Indonesia after pummeling hapless Vietnam, 116-58.

Khate Castillo led the lopsided affair with 22 points off the bench on a 7-of-12 clip from three, while Jack Animam rebounded from a 4-point disappearing act against Indonesia with a 16-point, 13-board double-double plus 4 assists in just 19 minutes.

The Philippines improved to 3-1 but its golden three-peat hopes lie on the slim possibility that Indonesia (4-0) drops its next two assignments against Cambodia and Singapore.

(READ: Gilas Pilipinas Women vent ire on hapless Vietnam, stay on pace for slim gold hope)

UPDATE: Indonesia blasted Cambodia, 100-54, later in the day, officially ending Gilas Women’s three-peat gold bid.

The Philippines can still earn a silver medal if it beats Malaysia in a virtual second-place match on Monday, May 15, 12 pm.

Colonia bags weightlifting silver

Angeline Colonia snagged a weightlifting silver in her SEA Games debut after placing second in the women’s 45kg division.

Colonia cleared 68kg in the snatch and 80kg in the clean and jerk for a total lift of 148kg, while Myanmar’s Zin May Oo struck gold with a total lift of 164kg.

Initially running third, the 16-year-old Filipina climbed to second after Thailand’s gold-medal contender Khemika Kamnoedsri, who topped the snatch with 72kg, failed to show up in the clean and jerk.

Laos’ Bouakham Phongsakone clinched bronze with a 122kg total.

(READ: Teen weightlifter Angeline Colonia bags 1st SEA Games medal before 17th birthday)

Preview

The Philippines receives a major boost from boxing, arnis, and taekwondo on Saturday, May 13, as it pushes for the 40-gold mark with four more days to go in the Southeast Asian Games here.

Rogen Ladon, Ian Clark Bautista, Irish Magno, and Riza Pasuit punch for gold in their respective weight classes, with a total of nine Filipino boxers advancing to the finals.

Arnis, the martial arts indigenous to the Philippines, stakes four golds on Saturday as Filipino arnisadors look to contribute to the gold haul that currently stands at 31.

SEA Games taekwondo champions Kurt Barbosa, Kirstie Alora, and Samuel Morrison will also be relied on to deliver golds after the poomsae team won two the day prior.

Tennis standouts Ruben Gonzales and Francis Casey Alcantara seek to extend the Philippines’ rule in men’s doubles to a third straight SEA Games as they face Indonesia in the finals.

Weightlifting action also kicks off on Saturday, with Angeline Colonia, Lovely Inan, and John Febuar Ceniza seeking to set the tone for the rest of the team.

Gilas Pilipinas shoots for a semifinal berth as it ends the group stage against Singapore, while Gilas Women eye a bounce-back win against Vietnam after their three-peat bid suffered a blow following a loss to Indonesia.

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