PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Combat sports continued to produce for Team Philippines as it raised its gold tally to seven with jiu-jitsu’s Annie Ramirez and karate’s Sakura Alforte seizing the spotlight on Saturday, May 6.

Ramirez reasserted her dominance in the region and completed a hat trick of SEA Games gold medals after ruling the women’s ne-waza NOGI -57kg by seeing off her three opponents from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The winner of the -55kg crown four years ago and -62 kg plum last year, the former UST standout said it took an arduous journey to capture a third straight SEA Games title.

“It was not easy because this happened right after the pandemic. It was the SEA Games last year and it is the SEA Games again now,” said Ramirez in Filipino.

“But I’m happy that I was able to continue the result that I wanted to give.”

Meanwhile, Alforte reigned in the women’s kata individual – a welcome triumph for the karate team as gold-medal bet Junna Tsukii settled for silver in the women’s -50kg kumite following a controversial judges’ decision.

A SEA Games first-timer, the Filipina-Japanese dethroned Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Phuong in the final.

“Just the past few months, I’ve been thinking about the SEA Games, preparing towards it. So I feel like whatever hard work that I’ve done, it finally paid off,” said Alforte.

Earlier in the day, the Philippines formalized its gold medals in obstacle course racing, with Precious Cabuya and Mark Julius Rodelas highlighting the team’s 1-2 finish in both the men’s and women’s individual events.

Kaizen dela Serna and Kevin Pascua delivered a pair of silvers in the sport that the Philippines pioneered when it hosted the 2019 SEA Games.

Matthew Hermosa, Iñaki Lorbes, Kira Ellis, and Erika Burgos also shared the limelight on Saturday as the aquathlon quartet ruled the mixed 4x team relay.

The Philippines ended the day with total of 30 medals after copping seven more silvers and 11 additional bronzes.

Aside from Tsukii, Dela Serna, and Pascua, silver medals were clinched by Arlan Arbois (men’s marathon), Andrew Remolino (men’s individual aquathlon), Janelle Mae Frayna and Shania Mendoza (chess, women’s ouk chaktrang doubles 60-minute), and Teia Salvino, Miranda Renner, Xiandi Chua, and Jasmine Alkhaldi (women’s swimming 4x100m freestyle relay).

Christine Hallasgo (women’s marathon) added a bronze just like Jerard Jacinto (men’s swimming 100m backstroke), Enrique Vasquez (men’s karate kata individual), and Jenelyn Olsim (women’s kun khmer kun kru).

Jiu-jitsu’s Andrea Camille Divina and Louanne Gutierrez (women’s duo), Jayson Cayari and Raymond Villaraza (men’s show), and Myron Mangubat (men’s ne-waza GI -62kg), and vovinam’s Rhenel Desuyo (men’s 65kg), Jovan Medallo (men’s sun-moon broadsword form), and Jerlyn Kingad (women’s 55kg) contributed bronzes as well.

Darwin Laylo, Paulo Bersamina, Rogelio Antonio, and Jan Emmanuel Garcia chipped in a chess bronze in men’s ouk chaktrang quadruples 60-minute. – Rappler.com