Philippines finishes second overall at Second SEA Deaf Games

The Philippine National Deaf Team delivered an inspired performance at the 2nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Deaf Games, clinching second overall in the medal standings with a 25-medal haul in Jakarta, Indonesia from August 20-26.

The Philippines tallied seven gold, six silver and 12 bronze medals, finishing behind overall champion Malaysia, which collected 52 medals: 25 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes. Host Indonesia rounded out the top three with 35 medals, including four golds, 14 silvers and 17 bronzes.

Bowling standout Maria Lovella Catalan emerged as the most bemedaled Filipino athlete, winning five medals: two golds, one silver and two bronzes. In table tennis, the national squad made a golden sweep, accounting for five of the country’s seven gold medals.

Track athlete Jae Phillipe Ciron Arce also contributed to the tally with two bronzes in the men’s long jump and men’s 400 meters.

This year’s performance marked a significant leap from the inaugural SEA Deaf Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2022, where the Philippines earned only nine medals across bowling and badminton.

The 2nd SEA Deaf Games gathered 270 athletes from seven countries: Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Competitions include: badminton, chess, futsal, table tennis, and bowling under the theme “Winning Through Unity.”

The Games were organized by the ASEAN Deaf Sports Federation (ADSF) and hosted by the Indonesian Sports Association of the Deaf (ISAD).