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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider SEAG first-timers Cesar, Lorana triumphant

SEAG first-timers Cesar, Lorana triumphant

Published Dec 15, 2025 08:51 pm

At A Glance

  • BANGKOK — Southeast Asian Games first-timers Naomi Cesar and Hussein Lorana added two more gold medals to Team Philippines' biggest haul yet in one day after ruling the men's and women's divisions of the 800-meter race at the Suphachalasai National Stadium on Monday, Dec. 15.
BANGKOK — Southeast Asian Games first-timers Naomi Cesar and Hussein Lorana added two more gold medals to Team Philippines’ biggest haul yet in one day after ruling the men’s and women’s divisions of the 800-meter race at the Suphachalasai National Stadium on Monday, Dec. 15.
Armed with a big stride and lightning quick feet, the Ateneo standout galloped in the final 200 meters of the race to take the lead and then the gold medal with a time of 1:48.80.
He finished ahead of reigning 400m race gold medalist Joshua Robert Atkinson of Thailand who clocked 1:49.24 to win the silver while Wan Muhammad Fazri Wan Zahari of Malaysia claimed the bronze with 1:49.85.
The 16-year-old Caesar, meanwhile, bagged the gold in a thrilling photo finish that saw her clock 2:10.2 — just 0.1 ahead of second placer in Vietnam’s Thi Thu Ha Nguyen who recorded 2:10.3. Caesar’s teammate in the national team, Bernalyn Bejoy, meanwhile, timed 2:10.6.
“Super unexpected po. Kasi I'm up against Southeast Asia's fastest 800m runner and 400m runner as well. So, super hindi ko expect na mananalo ako sa event na to,” said Lorana, pertaining to his Thai counterpart.
“It was great. I couldn’t have asked for a better result. I think I’m kinda still in shock but it was amazing,” said Caesar, who was also a silver medalist in the Asian Youth Games just last November.
Their gold medals hiked PH team’s gold haul for the day to eight after the Philippine shooting team had four and wushu and weightlifting had one each.
Those were also the highlight of the fruitful Day 5 of the competitions for the Philippine athletics team which is now one medal away from tying its previous gold haul in the last SEA Games.
Janry Ubas picked up the silver in the men’s long jump while Robyn Brown and Lauren Hoffman won the silver and bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles.
The relay team of Kristina Knott, LiannePama, Jessica Laurence and Zion Nelson bagged the women’s 4x100m bronze.
Eric Cray, who was gunning for a fourth straight hurdles gold and ninth overall in the SEA Games, finished seventh in the men’s 400m hurdles.
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