Clarence Sarza (left) in action during the women’s under-46kg kyorugi division of the SEA Games 2025 taekwondo event. –SEA GAMES POC POOL
Clarence Sarza stepped onto the mat in Bangkok with little fanfare, but by the end of Thursday’s competition, she had delivered one of the early storylines of the Southeast Asian Games. The 21-year-old fighter carved out a silver-medal finish in the women’s under-46kg kyorugi division at Island Hall inside Fashion Island Shopping Mall, giving the Philippines one of its first podium highlights of Day 2.
Sarza battled her way through a stacked field before bowing to hometown bet Patcharakan Poolkerd in the gold medal round. Though short of the top prize, her performance marked a significant leap forward for the rising Filipina jin, who earlier this year clinched bronze at the Chuncheon Korea Open and has been steadily climbing the regional rankings.
While Sarza’s ascent offered a fresh spark for the national team, veteran Kurt Barbosa faced a sobering twist in his own SEA Games journey. Chasing a historic fourth consecutive gold medal in the men’s under-54kg class, Barbosa saw his streak halted in the semifinals after a gritty showdown with Vietnam’s Nguyen Hong Trong.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympian dispatched Thailand’s Wisawakorn Jaichoo in his opening bout, but the semifinal setback forced him to settle for bronze in what was his fourth SEA Games campaign. For the three-time champion long regarded as one of the pillars of Philippine taekwondo, the result signals both the growing depth of competition in the region and a new challenge ahead as he recalibrates for future international battles.
Still, with Sarza’s rise and Barbosa’s resilience anchoring the squad, Philippine taekwondo closed the day with a mix of renewal and resolve—early proof that the team is far from done making noise in Bangkok.