Yulo creates ripple effect in Southeast Asia as Japanese coach hired by Thailand

MANILA, Philippines – The next Carlos Yulo could be in the making — and not just here in the Philippines.

Yulo’s stellar two-gold feat in the Paris Olympics is set to transcend to the entire Southeast Asian region following Thailand’s hiring of his Japanese mentor Munehiro Kugimiya.

Kugimiya has been in Thailand since Monday and will stay there until August 21 for guidance and consultation of his expertise as announced by the Gymnastics Association of Thailand.

“The Gymnastics Association of Thailand has invited Mr. Munehiro Kugimiya, Japanese coach of Carlos Edriel Yulo, a 2-gold medalist from the Paris Olympic Games, to teach and introduce techniques to the Thai national men's gymnastics team,” said the Thai federation.

Kugimiya served as the longtime mentor of Yulo since 2013, molding the then Filipino prodigy to a world-class bet that resulted in his unparalleled success in Paris with golds in floor exercise and vault of the men’s artistic gymnastics.

Under his watch, the Palarong Pambansa legend Yulo would win multiple medals abroad none bigger than the gold in the 2019 World Championships that became his stepping stone later on in the Olympics.

Yulo, who time and again preached his gratitude to Kugimiya for his incomparable influence to his career, was the first and the only male Olympic gold medalist gymnast from Southeast Asia.

And as it stands, he may be up against his former mentor’s prodigies in Thailand, which will host the next Southeast Asian Games next year.

Yulo, only 24 years old, has been the barometer in the SEA Games gymnastics over the years with nine gold and nine silver medals.