Filipino jins win 20 medals from Asian junior taekwondo meet

August 5 ------ The SMART/MVPSF Philippine team won a total of 20 medals – 2 gold, 5 silvers and 13 bronze – in another successful campaign in the recent 2025 Asian Junior, Cadet Taekwondo Championships in Kuching, Malaysia.

Dondy Santillan Jr. and the troika of Jaynazh Angelo Jamias, Clint Harron Magracia and Xian Gabriel Gamata produced two of the delegation’s gold medals in the event that gathered close to 1,300 rising stars from 44 countries across the continent. Crafty and resolute, Santillan triumphed in Kyorugi’s -37kg category (sparring) while Jamias, Magracua and Gamata put on a near-flawless performance to top poomsae’s recognized cadet team competition.

Backed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and MILO, the Filipino bets struck heavily in poomsae by accounting for 14 medals in the week-long event. Winning silver medals in Kyorugi were Jose Marti Omayan (Cadet Malew -61kg) and Jian Axl Khloe Liya (Cadet Male -53), while delivering bronze medals were Chuck Aeron Alariao (-63kg), Ryzza Anne Shyreen Cadilena (-42kg) and World Junior veteran Rhiyanne Agatha Shay Cadilena (-46kg).

In poomsae, the silver medalists were Clarissa Louise Gallego in the Cadet Female recognized individual and the tandems of Adrian Joseph Gajasan III and Austine Zulaika Macaraeg (freestyle mixed) and Dean Darnet Venerable and Juliana Mykhail Candelaria (freestyle mixed pair junior). Apart from winning a team gold, Jamias also took a bronze in the recognized individual cadet, while Clint Harron Magracia and Joniya Yua Ysabelle Obiacoro also clinched a bronze in the recognized mixed pair cadet.

Obiacoro and Gallego later teammed up with Chezka Nicolette Luzadas to likewise grab bronze in the recognized team cadet. Venerable, Macaraeg, Candelaria and Julianna Martha Uy also emerged as the other multi-medalists from the 44-player PH team. Winning bronze were the duo of Alfonzo Gabriel Tormon and Casey De Leon (recognized mixed pair junior), the team of Uy and De Leon and Acey Kiana Oglayon (recognized team junior) and so were Caleb Angelo Calde, Jose Lucas Llarena and Marcus Jared Maquiraya (recognized junior).

Source: spin.ph