Poomsae bets meet target

PHNOM PENH – It’s mission accomplished for the Philippine poomsae delegation.

Coming into the 32nd Southeast Asian Games with the objective of improving on their one-gold output last time, the jins scooped up two golds, one silver and two bronzes in taekwondo’s opening event here.

“We met our target,” Philippine head of delegation Rocky Samson said.

Patrick King Perez reigned supreme in the men’s recognized poomsae individual event while Jocel Lyn Ninobla, Aidine Laxa and Nicole Labayne ruled the women’s recognized poomsae team competition.

Perez also went home with a silver with Joaquin Tuzon and Ian Matthew Corton in men’s recognized poomsae team while Ninobla and Corton took the bronze in the mixed pair. The crew of Jeordan Dominguez, Darius Venerable, Justin Kobe Macario, Juvenile Faye Crisostomo and Zyka Angelica Santiago got the bronze in the mixed freestyle team.

The team pulled it off despite being held back by competition rules capping their participation at five out of the eight events. Only host Cambodia was allowed to compete in all events.

“We won five medals out of five (events),” said Samson.