Jins, fencers join Philippines' SEA Games medal haul

MANILA, Philippines — Jocel Lyn Ninobla and her fellow Filipino jins capped off Day One of taekwondo events in the 31st Southeast Asian Games with podium finishes in all their categories Monday. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine fencing team won bronze medals in the men's sabre team and women's epee team events.

The taekwondo events at the Tay Ho Gymnasium opened with five categories, three of which featured Pinoy jins.

Juvenile Crisostomo, Jeordan Domnguez, Justin Macario, Darius Venerable and Janna Oliva took home the silver medal for the mixed freestyle poomsae, while Raphael Enrico Mella, Patrick King Perez and Rodolfo Reyes Jr. also struck silver for the men’s team recognized poomsae.

Jocel Lyn Ninobla finished the day by defending her 2019 SEA Games gold, ruling the women's individual recognized poomsae with a score of 7.765.

The Filipino jins currently have one gold and two silvers.

Day Three of the fencing events at the Hanoi Indoor Games Palace saw the competition move to the team categories, with the women's epee and men's sabre at the helm. 

Fencers Anna Gabriella Guinto, Wilhelmina Lozada, Justine Gail Tinio and Ivy Claire Dinoy hoped to defend the country's 2019 gold in the event. They started strong, trouncing Cambodia, 45-26 to reach the semi-finals, assuring them already of a podium finish. They take home the bronze medal after falling to eventual champion Singapore, 32-45.

Their teammates in the men's sabre team event — Christian Concepcion, Sandro Antonio Sia, Daniel Villanueva and John Dayro — went straight to the semifinals but lost to Thailand, 45-29, which still produced the Philippine fencing team's fifth medal.