Nica Garces (first row, right) poses with her bronze medal along with her fellow Philippine taekwondo team members in the 32nd SEA Games. | Photo from Rafael Alunan III’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana taekwondo jin Nica Garces earned a bronze medal in the women’s -46 kilogram kyurogi (sparring) event in the taekwondo competition of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) on Saturday evening, May 13, 2023, in Cambodia.
Garces is the second Cebuana taekwondo jin who earned a medal in the SEA Games after Aidaine Laxa bagged the gold medal last Friday in the women’s recognized team poomsae event along with Nicole Labayne, and Jocel Lyn Ninobla.
READ: Laxa, taekwondo jin from Cebu, bags SEA Games poomsae gold
Thailand’s Khantikulanon defeats Garces
Garces, who also won a bronze medal in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, defeated Myanmar’s Dhaysioo Julius to advance in the medal round.
However, the eventual gold medal winner, Julanan Khantikulanon of Thailand bested her during their match.
Khantikulanon went on winning the gold medal by defeating Indonesia’s Kadek Heni Prikasih in the final round, after the latter edged Timor Leste’s Ana Da Costa Da Silva Pinto Belo in semifinals B.
Thus, Garces and Pinto Belo settled for the bronze medal.
READ: SEA Games 2023: Patrick King Perez gets dream come true with poomsae gold
Where they started career
Like Laxa, Garces, started her career in taekwondo in Cebu City under the tutelage of Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) Region 7 chairman Tony Del Prado.
The Philippines’ taekwondo team hauled six gold medals in both the poomsae and kyurogi events along with one silver, and four bronzes.
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