FORMER AND CURRENT Thomasian athletes raked in 24 medals for sixth placer Team Philippines in the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Thailand from Dec. 9 to 20.
The Philippines concluded the 33rd edition of the regional meet with a total haul of 276 medals, comprising 50 golds, 73 silvers and 153 bronzes.
The country’s ranking this year is a spot lower from its fifth-place standing during the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia.
Gold standard
Spearheading the Thomasian contribution were 16 athletes who secured a total of 10 gold medals led by two-time Olympian EJ Obiena. The Thomasian sports icon outdid himself by resetting the SEA Games pole vault record to capture his fourth straight title, jumping 5.70 meters to shatter the 5.65m record he set in Cambodia two years ago.
Before Obiena reclaimed his crown, it was UAAP Season 88 Athletics MVP and fellow Tiger Trackster Hokett delos Santos who struck his first decathlon gold, overcoming a shortened training period to finish atop the podium with 6,917 points.
Over on the sands, UST legend Sisi Rondina — alongside reserve and fellow Tiger Sands alumna Genesa Jane Eslapo — helped Alas Pilipinas clinch its maiden women’s beach volleyball crown, ending Thailand’s 22-year reign with a sweep.
Thomasian martial arts also figured prominently during the SEA Games, with former Tiger Jin John Kobe Macario delivering the country’s first gold with 8,200 points in the men’s freestyle individual poomsae. Current Tiger Jin Tachiana Mangin then dominated the women’s -49kg kyorugi with a 2-0 victory in her debut.
Former Tiger Judoka Chino Sy commanded the mats with two gold medals. After ruling the men’s -100kg judo, he teamed up with fellow alum Khrizzie Pabulayan and sophomore Margaret Fajardo to secure the mixed team title.
The Thomasian gold medal harvest extended to the diamond as the Blu Girls, featuring former Tiger Softbelles Royevel Palma and Charlotte Sales, clinched the title after defeating Singapore in women’s softball, 4-1. They were matched by the Blu Boys in the men’s division — led by former Golden Sox players Justine Rosales, Mark Gaspi and Israel Antonio — who helped blank Singapore, 3-0, to seal the double gold.
Rounding out the field dominance was the Philippine baseball team, which extended its SEA Games domination with three straight titles, beating host country Thailand, 5-3. Bolstering the squad were former Golden Sox standouts Mark Beronilla and John Reymond Vargas.
Silver medalists
Meanwhile, UST’s combat sports pride delivered three out of 73 silver medals racked up by the national team.
Former Tiger Jin Laila Delo finished the women’s -73kg kyurogi with a silver after bowing to Vietnam’s Bạc Thị Khiêm. In the men’s recognized poomsae trio event, Tiger Jins captain King Nash Alcairo and former Thomasian Rodolfo Reyes Jr. teamed up with NU’s Ian Corton to secure the Philippines’ first silver medal, scoring 8.530 points.
In fencing, former Tiger fencer Noelito Jose Jr. settled for his third consecutive SEA Games silver as he absorbed a heartbreaking 15-14 loss to Vietnam’s Phouc Den Nguyen in the men’s individual epee finals.
Bronze finishes
Rounding out the haul were 11 bronze finishes stamped with Thomasian mark, headlined by the Alas Pilipinas Men starring Golden Spikers star Josh Ybañez, Al-Bukharie Sali, along with head coach Odjie Mamon.
The squad settled for bronze following a gut-wrenching five-set loss to Vietnam, where Alas rallied from a 0-2 set hole only to fall short in the decider, 25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 22-25, 16-14.
Fresh off his UAAP Season 88 men’s table tennis title, Tiger Paddler Eljey Dan Tormis helped the national team get bronze after tough losses to Singapore (3-1) and Thailand (3-2).
The UST fencing program contributed a handful to the bronze tally, courtesy of Jannah Alyssa Catantan in women’s individual foil, Eunice Daniel Villianueva in men’s individual sabre, Haniel Abella and Alexa Larrazabal in women’s team epee.
Other Thomasian bronze medalists are Female Tiger Trackster Lianne Diana Pama in the women’s 4×100-meter relay, martial artists Annie Ramirez in jiu-jitsu duo classic, Daryl John Mercado in men’s -55kg judo, Aljen Aynaga in men’s -58kg kyorugi, Jocel Lyn Ninobla in recognized pair poomsae and the trio of Macario, Jeus Yape and Darius Venerable in mixed freestyle poomsae. F – L. Alvarez and E. Bechaida
Editor’s note: The article has been updated to include Aljen Aynaga in the list of medalists.
