Leonora Lo-oy
Mar 191 min
Tabuk City, Kalinga – Two high school students in Kalinga did not just make their home province proud, but the entire country after winning a belt and a medal in an international Muay Thai game held in Thailand recently.
Yheny S. Putao, 16 and Dave B. Gayyong, 14 are two of the seven delegates from the Philippines who participated in the Pro-Am World Muay Thai Championship in Pattaya, Thailand on March 11 – 15, 2024.
The said competition was attended by a total of 25 countries.
In the 4-day event, Putao was awarded a belt after being a champion with three wins, while Gayyong won a gold medal in his respective category.
In his interview with GURU Press Cordillera, Coach Daniel Gumilao, the two students of Agbannawag National High School were qualified to compete in the Pro-Am World Muay Thai Championship after winning in national tournaments in 2023 in Cavite and Pasig City.
He added that Putao and Gayyong are yet to mark their 3 years as young martial artists. The former started playing Muay Thai just after the pandemic in 2021 while the latter began playing in 2022.
After participating in an international game, Putao is set to compete in the upcoming Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association Meet (CARAA) in Apayao next month.