PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—Angel Gwen Derla surprised herself in a sport she only learned a few months back after capturing the gold medal in kum bokator at the 32^nd Southeast Asian Games at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center here Thursday night, May 4.

Angel Gwen Derla

Derla, a 19-year-old national team member of pencak silat, displayed her fine form to win the women’s bamboo shield form of the sport that originated from Cambodia.

She scored 8.5 points to beat hometown bet Puth Chanchhorvy, who managed 8.47 points for the silver.

Deslya Anggriani of Indonesia bagged the bronze with 8.42 points.

“Sobrang thankful kami sa coaches namin kasi bago lang kami sa sport na to, kaka-try lang namin,” said Derla, a freshman student of Our Lady of Fatima University in Laguna.

Kun bokator is an ancient battlefield martial art used by Khmer military groups.

Mark James Lacao settled for the silver medal in the men’s bamboo shield form after scoring 7.75 points behind eventual gold medalist Titsovathanak Kim of Cambodia (8.25 points), even as Rhichein Yosorez went home with the silver in women’s single bare hands form with 7.33 points behind Cambodia’s Sanhchana Yuos (7.75 points).

Alyssa Mallari, for her part, copped the bronze in women’s single bokator spirit form with 8.08 points.