Team Philippines secured its first medal of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam on Sunday.
Jean Claude Saclag advanced to the semifinals of the men’s low kick minus-63.5 kg with a 3-0 win over Cambodia’s Souliyavong Latxasak at the Bac Ninh Gymnasium.
The reigning champion out of Team Lakay is one win away from defending the gold that he won in 2019.
The rest of the national kickboxing team, however, exited the competition.
Carlos Alvarez lost to Nguyen The Huong of Vietnam, 3-0, in the full contact men’s minus 67kg.
Jomar Balanguie also missed out on a medal with a defeat to Toch Rachhan of Cambodia, 3-0, in the full contact men’s minus-57kg. He was the silver medalist in 2019 but in the lower weight category of minus 54kg.
Kurt Lubrica was defeated by Sungnot Chaiwat of Thailand, 2-1, in the men’s low kick minus 54kg category.
