Article by Arabella Balderama

A week has passed since the 32nd SEA Games officially launched in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Filipino athletes representing the country have continuously bagged awards to bring honor to the Philippines since then.

Through varying divisions in sports, the nation’s delegates showcased their skills, talents, determination, and commitment to the country as they fought for its prestige—whether win or lose.

Bringing Home the Bacon

During their sports’ culmination, gymnastics stars Carlos Yulo, Juancho Miguel Besana, and Ivan Cruz were able to haul four gold medals for the Philippines—with Yulo earning two while Besana and Cruz securing one each.

Yulo reigned in the individual all-around and parallel bars event. As for Cruz, he was in charge of the floor exercise, while Besana was for the vault. The wins were significant milestones in Cruz’s and Besana’s careers as the two athletes earned their first gold medals in the SEA Games.

Similarly, Marc Lim of jiu-jitsu finally broke through—landing on gold after failing two attempts to clinch the crown back in the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games. Adding to the pool of victors was Annie Ramirez, who also kept her reign in the same sport, garnering a gold medal in the women’s ne-waza NOGI – 57kg.

Janry Ubas also bagged his first gold in the men’s long jump following an eight-year wait ever since he started representing the Philippines in 2015. His win is parallel to the aforementioned athletes who obtained their distinction after a lengthy run.

Aces in the tracks joined in the bargain as Kim Mangrobang finished silver in the women’s triathlon and successfully defended her title—earning gold in the women’s duathlon. Also extending his golden reign is Fernando Casares in the men’s triathlon.

The Philippine swimming team closed the ranks with Xiandi Chua sealing gold in the women’s 200m backstroke. Clocking 2:13.20, she beat her teammate and former champion Chloe Isleta who bagged silver.

Subsequently, the prodigy Teia Salvino smashed a new tournament and national record of 1:01.64 in the 100m backstroke, earning her a gold. The 17-year-old newbie also won bronze during the 50m backstroke with a time of 28.99 seconds.

The tallying of medals kept running as Enrique Vasquez, Junna Tsukii, and Jamie Lim snagged bronze, silver, and gold in karate, respectively.

Meanwhile, vaulter EJ Obiena forwarded his plans to raise funds for aspiring Filipino pole vaulters by auctioning the customized Puma spikes he wore when he fought for his third straight SEA Games gold.

On the other hand, Team Gilas Pilipinas just kicked off their title bids, with Gilas Women handily beating Cambodia in a 114-54 win and Gilas Men cruising Malaysia in a 94-49 victory.

Not a One-Way Street

Battles may not always result in victories; however, what’s important is the courage and spirit exhibited to bring honor to the country.

The Philippine men’s volleyball team closed out their campaign in fifth place with a four-set win against Singapore, scoring 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, and 25-23, respectively, which avenged their winless preliminary rounds.

At the same time, the women’s volleyball team could not maintain their momentum following the fresh, easy win against Cambodia as they suffered a loss against Vietnam. 

The country’s women’s football team also bid goodbye to the chance of competing in the semifinals despite upsetting Vietnam, as Myanmar finished with the second-best record in the roster and thus eliminated the Philippines. 

Billiards veteran Efren “Bata” Reyes fell against the hands of Cambodia, enduring a 40-15 loss. This was the legend’s first time not bringing home a medal in six years.

The rest of Reyes’s team in the men’s three-cushion carom singles had crashed out of the competitions, leaving Francisco dela Cruz to advance to the final eight.

Every game of the Filipino delegates was a make-or-break opportunity for the nation. After all of the events in the past week, the Philippines stood in sixth place amongst all Southeast Asian countries—garnering 26 golds, 44 silvers, and 56 bronzes for a total of 126 medals as of May 10.