SEA Games: Farmer’s son cops pencak silat gold for PH

Filipino athlete Edmar Tacuel wins gold in the tunggal male competition of pencak silat at the 30th SEA Games in Subic, Zambales. Inquirer/Grig c. Montegrande

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Edmar Tacuel ruled the men’s seni tunggal event at the start of pencak silat in the 30th Southeast Asian Games Monday at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

Tacuel, a prized find from Tubongan, Iloilo, got the nod of the judges to compile 470 points in his first stint in the 11-nation biennial meet.

Muhammad Iqbal Bin Abdul Rahman of Singapore pocketed the silver medal with 461 points and Dino Bima Sulistianto of Indonesia placed third with 460 points.

“This is the happiest day of my life. I thank my family, coaches, teammates and the government (Philippine Sports Commission) for helping me achieve my dream,” said an emotional Tacuel, a son of a farmer and sixth among a brood of seven children.

Tacuel used to compete in arnis before a friend asked him to try his luck at pencak silat.

He got a spot in the national team in April and joined the squad in a pair of training camps in Singapore and Thailand.