SINGAPORE -- The Filipino taekwondo jins successfully retained the men’s team poomsae title on Friday for the country’s first gold medal in the sport in the 28th Singapore Southeast Asian Games at the Expo Sports Hall 2.
Siblings Jacob Dustin Mella, Raphael Enrico Mella, sons of taekwondo national training director Igor Mella, and newcomer Rodolfo Reyes Jr. won the nod of the judges with their precision and dynamic teamwork in topping the seven-team field with a score of 4.55 points.
They narrowly beat the Vietnamese squad, which took the silver with 4.45 points while Indonesia secured the bronze medal (4.34).
The Mella brothers and Marvin Gabriel also took the men’s poomsae gold in the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games.
Rinna Babanto earlier garnered the silver medal in the women’s individual poomsae with a tally of 4.33 points in the event won by Singapore’s Sim Chelsea (4.74). Indonesia’s Habiba Mutiara took the bronze (4.33).
Babanto, Juven Crisostomo and Jocelyn Ninobla likewise took the bronze in the women’s team poomsae with a score of 4.33 points. (PNA)