PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Philippines is one gold away from matching its gold medal output in last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi with one full day of action to go before the curtains fall on the 32nd edition.
Team Philippines collected five gold medals on Monday highlighted by Vanessa Sarno’s record-breaking performance in weightlifting to pad its tally to 51, one shy of the tally set in Hanoi in 2022.
READ: Gilas pulls off great comeback against Indonesia
The country also has 77 silvers and 103 bronzes, enabling the team to tighten its hold on fifth place in the medal tally just behind host Cambodia.
Gilas Pilipinas will lead the final push of the delegation to equal or surpass the Hanoi mark. Weightlifting, kickboxing, fencing, arnis, cricket, floorball, and break dancing teams will also compete a day before the closing ceremonies.
Vietnam is set to take its second straight overall championship with a gold-silver-bronze tally of 123-100-98, with Thailand a far second with 94-76-93. Indonesia is in third with 74-67-92, while Cambodia is a close fourth with 71-68-113.

Sarno recorded a SEA Games record in the snatch with a 105kg, while lifting 120 in the clean and jerk for a 225 total to win her second straight gold in the regional showpiece.
Jean Claude Saclag also reasserted his supremacy in kickboxing by beating his Cambodian foe in the low kick men’s -63kg division.
Dexter Bolambao and Maria Ella Alcoseba reigned supreme in arnis.
A feel good story came in wrestling when Cristina Vergara, a 45-year-old replacement, claimed his third SEA Games gold in the women’s freestyle 65kg while her daughter Cathlyn took the bronze in the women’s freestyle 59kg.
Justin Brownlee scored 34 points while playing his best in the clutch to lift Gilas Pilipinas to a place in the gold medal match after defeating Indonesia, 84-76.
Gilas will meet Cambodia on Tuesday, 3 p.m. (4 p.m. Philippine standard time)
Gilas Women finished with a silver medal after beating Malaysia, 77-63.
Jude Rodriguez also took the silver in arnis women’s full contact live stick lightweight, while Renalyn Dacquel placed second in kickboxing women’s full contact -48kg.
Mark Talledo captured bronze in arnis men’s full contact live stick lightweight.
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