Photo credit: Philippine Sports Commission

Sakura Alforte won the Philippines' fifth gold medal at the Cambodia 2023 Southeast Asian Games by winning the women's individual kata in the karate competition on Saturday.

Alforte outperformed the defending champion Nguyen Thi Phuong of Vietnam in the final match.

This achievement is a redemption for the Philippine Karate team which did not win any gold medal in the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam.

In addition to Alforte’s triumph, Enrico Vasquez's third place finish in the men's individual kata event also earned the country a bronze medal.