Tachiana Mangin made a dazzling debut, claiming the women’s -49 kg gold in taekwondo at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Friday at the Fashion Island Shopping Mall in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fresh from winning last year’s World Juniors in the same weight class, the University of Santo Tomas senior high school student-athlete proved she belongs on the big stage.
Mangin’s victory marked the Philippines’ second taekwondo gold of the tournament, following Kobe Macario’s triumph in the men’s freestyle individual poomsae last Wednesday.
The country’s kyorugi team also rounded out its medal haul, with Clarence Sarza taking silver in the women’s -46 kg and Kurt Barbosa earning bronze in the men’s -54 kg.
