BAGUIO City athlete Daniel Parantac has won an early gold medal for the Philippines at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.
Parantac, an Education graduate from the University of the Cordilleras, scored 9.71 points to defend his title in men's taijijian wushu Sunday afternoon.
Jack Chang Lo of Malaysia was second with 9.69 and Julius Kurniawan of Indonesia third with 9.68.
The gold was Parantac's second medal in Singapore. Earlier he teamed up with John Keithly Chan, a fellow Cordilleran, and Norlenc Catolico for the silver in the men's double weapon.
The Bontoc native leads 2015 Philippine wushu taolu team. Joining him are fellow veterans and other Cordillera wushu athletes including John Keithly, his duilian team mate, the female duilian tandem of Natasha Laxamana and Kariza Kris Chan, the returning Thornton Lou Sayan and rookies Spencer Bahod and former world junior champion Ken Alieson Omengan.
Denbert Francisco will represent the country in the sanda 60-65kg contest in place of World wushu champion Jean Claude Saclag, who injured his shoulder while training in China.
As of noon Monday, the Philippines was seventh in the medal standings with six golds, eight silvers, and 15 bronzes.
The other golds came from triathlete Ma. Claire Adorna, the first Filipina gold medallist in the Singapore Games, Nikko Bryan Huelgas (triathlon), Kiyomi Watanabe in judo, Carlo Biado and Warren Kiamco in the 9-Ball pool doubles, and the Philippine Volcanoes (rugby seven).