By ADRIAN STEWART CO

The Philippines returned to the top of the Asian cadet taekwondo stage after a decade, thanks to the golden performance of Dondy Santillan, Jr. at the 2025 Asian Cadet Taekwondo Championships held from July 27 to 28 in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Santillan, a native of Bacolod, delivered a dominant run by defeating tough opponents from Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan en route to the gold medal.

His victory ended a 10-year gold medal drought for the country in the prestigious regional tournament.

“Standing on that podium with the Philippine flag flying high and the national anthem being sung was simply unbelievable,” Santillan said in a Facebook post.

“I’m incredibly honored and proud to represent the Philippines,” he said.

“Playing for our country was a very humbling and honoring experience. This gold medal represents a realization of a dream, a dream come true moment for me, and a product of all the hard work and perseverance,” he added.

The win came after a disappointing campaign at the World Cadet Taekwondo Championships, which Santillan used as motivation to work even harder.

Santillan is currently a sports scholar at Living Stone International School, where he balances his academic pursuits with elite-level training.

He hones his skills under coach Pauline Sabido of the Negros Taekwondo Union-Tigers, a grassroots-based club known for producing world-class taekwondo athletes.

Up next, Santillan is set to represent Bacolod City in the Batang Pinoy national youth games in General Santos City./ASC, WDJ