FILE – Alvin Lobreguito. –Alvin Lobreguito Facebook
PHNOM PENH—Tired of winding up as second fiddle a couple of times, Alvin Lobreguito finally struck gold in wrestling on Tuesday at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
The 31-year-old veteran grappler from Makati City exacted sweet revenge over Phu Khac Huy, 3-1, in a long-awaited rematch of their finals last year in Hanoi where the Vietnamese ruled the men’s freestyle 57kg category.
This time, Lobreguito was in his element after also disposing of Thailand’s Nattawut Kaewkhuanchum, 3-1, in a victory that rewarded Team Philippines its 52 gold medal, matching the country’s output in the 2022 Vietnam Games.
Lobreguito’s gold is the third for Philippine wrestling following the earlier triumphs of Jason Balabal in the men’s Greco Roman 87kg and Maria Cristina Vergara in the women’s freestyle 65kg.
Lobreguito of Makati City finished second in his weight class twice in a row after a silver effort in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.