PH climbs to fifth in standings after SEA Games Day 2 medal haul 

On a day defined by tight finishes, emotional swings, and battles decided by inches, Team Philippines found itself rising sharply up the SEA Games table — fueled by grit rather than comfort, and by narrow wins rather than runaway victories.

Thursday in Thailand felt like a day where every point mattered, every exchange shifted momentum, and every medal had a story of escape or breakthrough behind it.

 By evening, the Philippines had climbed to fifth place, its Day 2 haul marked by three gold medals that showcased the delegation’s resilience across contrasting disciplines.

The spark came from a familiar steadying force: Aleah Finnegan.

Already one of the most decorated gymnasts in the region, the 2024 Olympian reminded the field why she remains a standard of excellence. Finnegan claimed the women’s vault gold by a razor-thin margin of 0.033 over Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu — a victory won not through dominance but through composure in a high-pressure final where the smallest deviation meant the difference between gold and silver.

The jiu-jitsu mats then turned into the Philippines’ most productive battlefield of the day.

Kimberly Anne Custodio, composed and clinical, captured the women’s 48kg Ne-waza title after outclassing Thailand’s Sugan Nutchaya. Minutes later, Dean Roxas followed suit, overpowering Singapore’s Ea Aacus Hou Yu to secure the men’s 85kg crown.

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ONE STEP AT A TIME

Gymnast Aleah Finnegan, and grapplers Dean Roxas and Kimberly Anne Custodio boost the Philippines’ ranking from sixth to fifth place with their gold-medal finishes in SEA Games 2025 Thailand.#SEAGames33 #SEAGamesThailand #TibayAtTatag pic.twitter.com/oNDStstNtx

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) December 11, 2025

Their triumphs not only solidified the Philippines’ gold tally at five, but also punctuated a resurgent performance from the jiu-jitsu squad that delivered medals throughout the day.

Silver-medal finishes reinforced the narrative of near misses and tight battles.

Yman Xavier Baluyo pushed deep into his bracket to claim silver in the men’s Ne-waza 69kg.
In the pool, after breaking a SEA Games record in the morning heats, Kayla Sanchez settled for silver in the women’s 50m backstroke, and added another in the 200m freestyle — a testament to both her dominance and the rising challenge from rival swimmers.

Further silvers came from Clarence Sarza in taekwondo’s under-46kg class and from Haylee Garcia in the uneven bars, highlighting gymnastics’ continued medal productivity.

The bronze medals, meanwhile, arrived in clusters from athletes who kept the Philippines’ tally growing steadily:the women’s duo classic team in ju-jitsu, Kaila Napolis (57kg), Marc Alexander Lim (69kg), Vito Luis Luzuriaga (85kg), the men’s team kata in karate, Justin Ace De Leon in two gymnastics apparatus events, and Kurt Barbosa in taekwondo’s under-54kg division.

Still, the day’s sting came from the hardwood.

The Gilas Men 3×3 squad, in the hunt for redemption after mixed outings in past cycles, saw its run abruptly halted in the semifinals by Singapore, 21–20 — a one-possession heartbreak. Minutes later, Malaysia dealt the final blow, taking the bronze medal match 21–19 and leaving Gilas just outside the podium.

Despite the stumble, the Philippines surged past Malaysia in the overall standings with its 5-7-20 gold-silver-bronze slate, while Thailand continued to dominate with a massive 37-22-13 lead, ahead of Vietnam (12-7-24), Indonesia (11-19-11), and Singapore (8-9-12).

Day 2 didn’t belong to easy wins — it belonged to razor edges, gut checks, and athletes who found ways to push through tight margins.

That, more than the medal count itself, defined the Philippines’ rise.

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