FOUR UST Jins representing the Philippines secured podium finishes in poomsae competitions during the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday, May 16.
Former Lady Jin Jocel Lyn Ninobla captured the country’s first gold medal in taekwondo after dominating the women’s individual recognized poomsae event with a 7.765-point performance.
Ninobla outlasted Vietnam’s Tran Kim Uyen Le, who settled for silver with 7.649 points. Indonesia’s Defia Rosmaniar and Orwanee Srisahakit of Thailand bagged bronze with 7.549 and 7.482, respectively.
It was Ninobla’s second straight gold medal, as she ruled in the 2019 SEA Games with an average score of 8.433.
In the men’s play, Tiger Jins Darius Venerable and Kobe Macario teamed up with national team members Jeordan Dominguez, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo, and Jana Dominique Oliva for a silver win in the freestyle mixed team event with 7.366 points.
They fell short against Vietnam (7.791), while Laos nabbed the bronze with a 6.233 score.
UST alumnus Rodolfo Reyes Jr., who bagged gold in the men’s individual category at the 2019 SEA Games, added medal finish in his SEA Games campaign after placing second with Patrick King Perez, Raphael Enrico Mella in the men’s team recognized poomsae division with 7.732 points. The trio succumbed to Team Vietnam (7.782).
Overall, the Philippine Taekwondo Team recorded 2-5-3 gold-silver-bronze medal haul in the 31st edition of SEA Games.
The Philippines dropped to the fourth spot in the biennial meet’s medal tally with 47 gold medals, 65 silvers, and 88 bronzes. Anna Clarissa Barlam
