Thailand won the bragging rights as the first country in the Southeast Asian region to win a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
While other ASEAN countries – the Philippines included – rued their missed opportunities and misfortunes, Thailand rejoiced after taekwondo jin Panipak Wongpattanakit took the gold in women’s 49kg on Saturday.
Panipak Wongpattanakit
A bronze medal winner during the 2016 Rio Games, Wongpattanakit beat out Spanish teenager Adriana Cerezo Iglesia for the gold.
Indonesia also made it to the medal tally in the pandemic-delayed Games when Windy Cantika Aisah took the bronze in women’s weightlifting (49 kg class).
Boxer Nesthy Petecio provided the bright note for the Philippine side when she pummeled her taller rival from Congo, 5-0, and advanced to the Round of 16 of the 54-57kg category.
Her victory, somehow, eased the pain of taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa’s crushing defeat to a Korean rival.
