By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Taekwondo jins took the spotlight in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games Saturday night, May 13, after producing four gold medals in kyorugi events at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center here.
Kurt Barbosa set the tone for the Nationals’s impressive showing after he dominated Thailand’s Ramnarong Saweekwiharee in the men’s -54kg, 2-0, before Arven Tolentino followed suit with a 2-1 win over another Thai foe in Chaichon Cho, 2-1, in the men’s -68kg.
Then it was Samuel Morrison’s turn to shine, ruling the men’s -87kg with a 2-1 triumph over Indonesian Nicholas Armanto before Elaine Alora capped the day with a 2-1 win over Vietnamese Thi Huong Nguyen in the women’s -73kg.
The victories were bittersweet for both Morrison and Alora, who plans to retire at the end of the year.
Morrison, who captured his fourth SEAG gold, said he wanted to spend more time with his family and put up a taekwondo gym in Bataan, while Alora, who savored her first SEAG gold since winning in the 2013 Myanmar edition, wanted to focus on her collegiate coaching career with De La Salle and College of St. Benilde.
So far, Filipino jins already reaped six gold, one silver and two bronzes heading into the final two days of competition.
