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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Pinoy jin Justin Kobe Macario cops first PH gold in Thai SEAG

Pinoy jin Justin Kobe Macario cops first PH gold in Thai SEAG

Published Dec 10, 2025 12:37 pm  |  Updated Dec 10, 2025 05:53 pm

At A Glance

  • BANGKOK – The Philippine taekwondo team was off to a golden start in its campaign in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
BANGKOK – The Philippine taekwondo team was off to a golden start in its campaign in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Justin Kobe Macario (second from left) flashes the No. 1 sign after copping the country's first SEAG gold in Thailand. (POC Media Pool)
Justin Kobe Macario (second from left) flashes the No. 1 sign after copping the country's first SEAG gold in Thailand. (POC Media Pool)
That, after taekwondo jin Justin Kobe Macario delivered the first gold for Team Philippines after topping the freestyle poomsae event at the Fashion Island Shopping Mall on Wednesday, Dec. 10 here.
Macario displayed the perfect blend of speed, precision, and power as he put together a clean routine that garnered 8.200 points from the judges to narrowly beat Koedkaew Atchariya of Thailand for the top spot.
The hometown bet scored 8.100 points to claim the silver while Malaysia’s Ken Haw Chin bagged the bronze with 7.740 points.
It was Macario’s first medal in individual events after winning a silver and bronze in the mixed team poomsae events in the 2021 and 2023 edition of the biennial meet.

Meanwhile, delivering two bronzes for Team Philippines were the men’s and women’s team in the hoops events of sepak takraw.
The men’s team finished with 660 points behind gold medal winner Thailand (900 pts) and silver Myanmar (670 pts). The women’s team, on the other hand, had 540 points behind Thailand (1000pts ) and Myanmar (850pts).
Over at 3x3 basketball, the Philippine team drew contrasting results in their opening games with the men’s team defeating Vietnam, 21-15, in the Pool B action while the women’s side fell to Indonesia, 15-21.
The two teams are still playing as of press time with the male dribblers taking on Malaysia for a 2-0 start while the women’s squad is trying to bounce back also against the Malaysians.
As of 5 p.m. (Manila time), Team Philippines has a gold and three bronzes, good for the sixth spot in the medal tally. Host Thailand, as expected, came out strong already bagging nine golds, six silvers and seven bronzes followed by Myanmar with two golds and three silvers.
In the swimming events, all of the PH tankers made a splash in the preliminaries in the morning session to advance to their respective final events being held as of press time.
Meanwhile, the 61-man athletics team begins its quest for SEA Games glory on Thursday, Dec. 11 with the sprinters expected to lead the charge.
Former SEA Games medalist Kristina Knott alongside Zion Rose Nelson are vying in the centerpiece event 100-meter dash while Kent Francis Jardin and Anfernee Lopena bannering the country on the men’s side.
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