Tachiana Mangin could not hold back the tears.
The junior world champion had just fallen short of the Asian Games gold medal she came to Japan believing she could win.
Instead, she stood on the podium with silver around her neck after losing to China’s Ma Jingyue in the women’s 49kg final Friday.
For a moment, the medal felt more like a reminder of what she had missed.
‘I came really for the gold and fell short. It was disappointing. I’m sorry,’ said Mangin, fighting back tears.
But somewhere between the disappointment and the tears was the realization that this loss could become something far more valuable than a gold medal on a single night.
Mangin knows she is still only beginning to understand what it takes to consistently beat Asia’s elite. Her silver, however, was not the only one celebrated by the Philippines on a memorable Friday night.
Tokyo Olympian Kurt Barbosa also reached the men’s 58kg final and claimed silver after falling to Kazakhstan’s Tamirlan Tlueles. Barbosa’s medal was the Philippines’ eighth silver of the Games.
The two taekwondo silvers therefore carried significance beyond the disappointment of missing two gold-medal opportunities.
They added to a Philippine medal haul that has reached historic territory at these Games.
With a tally of 4 golds, 8 silvers and 16 bronze medals, Team Philippines has surpassed the most number of medals the country won in 60 years or since Filipino athletes brought home 22 medals in the 1970 Asiad in Bangkok, Thailand.
‘But I see it as a learning experience, something I could carry in future tournaments ahead,’ added the University of Santo Tomas sophomore.
And that may ultimately be the most important takeaway from her first Asian Games final.
By December, Mangin will return to the continental stage at the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia, where she is expected to encounter another field filled with many of the elite fighters she faced here.
Then comes the World Championships next year, another opportunity to test herself against the best in the sport.
The Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia will follow in the second half of 2027.
Then comes the ultimate target. Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
‘That’s definitely the dream. I’ll try to be patient and work doubly hard to be there,’ Mangin said.