Hiraya Francine Padios ruled the women’s singles in Seni (artistic) to deliver the Philippines’ lone gold medal in the recently concluded 10th Asian Pencak Silat Championships in Dong Nai, Vietnam.
The 22-year-old native of Aklan bedazzled the competition as she elicited a 9.915 score to complete her golden romp, which capped the Filipinos’ solid haul that included five silver medals and the same number of bronzes.
It was another medal for Padios, who struck gold in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games four years ago and took the silver in the 2019 edition in Subic at a very young age of 15 years old back then.
Kram Airam Carpio, an Asian Youth Games gold winner in Bahrain last year, chipped in a silver in the Tanding Class B female 50-55 kilograms as well as Rick Ortega, Mark Laurenz Ortega and Edmar Tacuel (male Regu-Seni), Kyan Voyde Garcia (Tanding Class I male 85-90kg), Stephen Suazo (Tanding Class Open 1 Male) and May Justine Acat (Tanding Class Open 2 female).
It was the second medal for Tacuel, the country’s lone SEA Games gold medalist in 2019 in Subic, after he also picked up a bronze in the male singles Seni.
Also accounting for a bronze for the Nationals were Maricel dela Torre Escalona (Tanding Class D female 60-65kg), Allimar Tanilon Campos (Tanding Class F male 70-75kg), Alvin Campos (Tanding Class G Male 75-80kg) and Joo Ash (Tanding Class H male 80-85kg).