SEA Games: Three silver finishes for Philippine taekwondo team

DFILE–Philippines’ Dave Cea (blue). Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Kirstie Alora, Dave Cea, and Baby Jessica Canabal delivered three silver medals for the Philippine taekwondo team on Tuesday in the 31st Southeast Asian Games at Tay Ho Gymnasium in Vietnam.

Cea, who ruled the 74-kilogram men’s kyorugi, settled for a runner-up finish after falling to Cambodia’s Mithona Va in the final, 13-34.

He beat Indonesia’s Naufal Khairudin Osanando in the semifinal, 24-11, barge into the gold medal match for the second straight time in the biennial meet.

Canabal, the 2019 SEA Games bronze medalist, surpassed her previous finish, earning a silver medal in the 53kg female kyorugi despite losing to Vietnam’s Thi Anh Tuyet Tran in the championship.

Canabal 16-2 over Nan Thou Narry Kaung of Myanmar in the quartefinal and beat Megawati Tamesti Maheswari, 15-10, in the semifinal.

Philippines’ Kirstie Elaine Alora—INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Alora retained her silver medal in the 73kg after yielding to hometown bet Thi Huong Nguyen, 8-10, in the final.

She dominated Thidasavanh Sotthacit with a 16-3 victory in the semifinal earlier.

Meanwhile, Rheza Aragon, the runner-up of the female 57kg kyorugi, suffered a quarterfinal exit after falling to Indonesian Mariska Halinda, 1-22.

The trio boosted the national team’s medal tally to five silvers including to runner-up finishes in the men’s team poomsae and mixed freestyle last Sunday. Kurt Barbosa and Jocel Lyn Ninobla won two golds in the sport, while Laila Delo earned the country’s lone bronze.