BACOLOD City – Bacolodnon jin Dondy Santillan Jr. hit the mark in the 2025 Asian Cadet Taekwondo Championships with his gold medal finish recently in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Santillan, a standout of Negros Taekwondo Union-Tigers New Gen, swept all his matches in the Asian cadet taekwondo category for the country’s first gold in the regional tournament after a decade.
Along the way, Santillan secured victories against Thailand (2-0), Chinese Taipei (2-0), Malaysia (2-0), and Kazakhstan (2-0) to conclude the two-day event with a clean slate.
“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.”
“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.
Santillan’s gold medal win came after a disappointing campaign at the World Cadet Taekwondo Championships, which Santillan used as motivation to work even harder.
“I am grateful for the lessons learned, the friendships made, the opportunity to compete and to represent our country at the highest level. Above all, thank you Lord for protecting and guiding me all the time,” Santillan said.
Santillan is currently a sports scholar at Living Stone International School, where he balances his academic pursuits with elite-level training under coach Pauline Sabido of the Negros Taekwondo Union-Tigers.
Up next, Santillan is set to represent Bacolod City in the Batang Pinoy national youth games in General Santos City./PN
