SYDNEY Sy Tancontian of Davao City collared a women's judo bronze medal at the close of the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Malaysia Sunday barely 20 years after her father Paolo got his own bronze in Indonesia.
The 17-year-old varsity mainstay of University of Sto. Tomas, in a Facebook interview with SunStar Davao, said, she was in awe of her first-ever SEA Games experience.
"Siguro po yung pressure and how prestigious yung SEA Games. It's my first time rin po kasi. Sobrang nerve-wrecking po," she said, adding, "Kabado po ako pero once I stepped into the mat, nawawala naman po."
She first played against Myanmar's 2015 SEA Games silver medalist Aye Aye Aung whom she described has stocky build. The latter won by waza-ari in their women's under 78 kilogram division clash.
In the battle for bronze, she defeated Chatthayaporn Prawiset of Thailand on the same note, via waza-ari.
"Nakuha ko po yun by counter attack po," the Dabawenya chinita charmer added.
The elder Tancontian, for his part, was elated by his daughter's feat.
"It is with my greatest joy to see my daughter on the podium receiving her SEA Games bronze medal 20 years after I received mine in Indonesia in the same sport that we love dearly," Paolo posted on his Facebook.
He then thanked all who supported her daughter's athletic career including SunStar Davao.
The proud fatheralso said they were "wishing" for Sydney to win but admitted she was short of international exposure and was up against well-experienced SEA Games veterans. (With Adam B. Morrell)