PHNOM PENH—Six gold medals and the taekwondo jins have emerged as the most successful athletes on Team Philippines in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
And it’s because of their perseverance and faith to God.
“I forgot God and everything about Him after my Olympic [Tokyo 2021] campaign,” Kurt Barbosa—who beat his idol from Thailand, Ramnarong Sawekwiharee, in the men’s 54-kg final of kyorugi—told BusinessMirror on Sunday. “Until someone enlightened me and asked me to return to Him.”
“I gave everything to Him as I trained,” he said. “And I’m so happy that He gave me my third gold medal in the SEA Games.”
The 23-year-old pride of Bangued in Abra has as company in taekwondo’s golden circle veteran Kirstie Elaine Alora, Samuel Morrison and Arven Alcantara in kyorugi and Patrick King Perez (recognized men’s individual) and Jocelyn Ninobla, Aidaine Laxa and Nicole Labayne (recognized women’s team) in poomsae.
Barbosa beat the two-time world championships bronze medalist Sawekwiharee, 6-3, in the final he marked with an 11-8 score in the first round and a technical knockout in the second round at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall F for his third gold after 2019 in Manila and 2022 in Vietnam.
“I pray most of the time to Saint James. As a Roman Catholic, my faith in God always lives on,” he said. “So now, I can now focus on my training for the next two tournaments.”
Barbosa is seeing action in the world championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 29 to June 6 and the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games from September 23 to October 8.
A return to the Olympics, he said, would follow after he hurdles the two major tournaments.
At 33, Alora hinted at retirement—she competed in SEA Games since 2013 in Myanmar. She won gold here also last Saturday in women’s -73 kgs where she booked a 2-1 win in the final over Vietnam’s Thi Huong Nguyen.
“Yes I am considering retirement so definitely this is my last. That’s why I did my best to have a good exit here,” said Alora, an Export Management graduate at the College of Saint Benilde. “It’s time to pass the responsibility to the young guns.”
Alora, who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympian, said she’s unsure if she could go for a third bronze medal—or better—in Huangzhou.
“It depends on my coaches,” she said. “But I’m no longer considering myself to be at the Paris Olympics. I am already okay with what I have achieved.”
Under the watchful eyes of coach Carlos Padilla, Morrison added the men’s 87 kgs gold and Alcantara the 68 kgs title to Team Philippines’ success.
Patrick King Perez (recognized men’s individual) and the women’s recognized team of Jocelyn Ninobla, Aidaine Laxa and Nicole Labayne.
The poomsae team had former national world champion Rani Ortega as coach.
More kyorugi fighters are eyeing gold medals on Monday—Dave Cea (men’s -74 kgs), Joseph Chua (men’s -63 kgs), Jessica Canabal (women’s -53 kgs) and Laila Delo (women’s -67 ksg).
Image credits: Roy Domingo
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