CHONBURI, Thailand — Southeast Asian Games weightlifting delivered another tightly contested finish on Saturday, December 13, as the women’s 53kg event was decided by the slimmest of margins at the Chonburi Sports School.

A teenage representative of the Philippines came within one kilogram of the podium, placing fourth in a field stacked with seasoned regional competitors and Olympic-level talent.

The Filipino lifter totaled 190kg, narrowly missing out on bronze claimed by Myanmar’s Yar Naw Ta Boe at 191kg. Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao powered to gold with a commanding 204kg total, while Vietnam’s Hoai Huong Nguyen secured silver after lifting 197kg.

Tight race in the women’s 53kg

The Southeast Asian Games women’s 53kg division featured athletes in their prime, making the fourth-place finish by the youngest competitor in the session a notable result.

Khambao, 25, added another major title to her résumé after previously earning Olympic bronze in the women’s 49kg category at the Paris Games. Nguyen and Boe, aged 22 and 25, also brought significant international experience into the competition.

Against that backdrop, the Filipino teenager remained composed, recording the third-best snatch at 85kg and successfully completing all three clean and jerk attempts at 100kg, 103kg, and 105kg.

Momentum beyond the SEA Games stage

The Southeast Asian Games totals marked a step forward compared to the lifter’s previous international outing at the IWF World Youth and Junior Championships in Peru last May.

In that meet, she dominated the 55kg class with a combined 188kg total. Her performance in Thailand exceeded those numbers, highlighted by a 105kg clean and jerk that surpassed expectations even after inconsistent training lifts.

While the missed medal stung, the debut served as a confidence booster and a valuable learning experience, reinforcing the Philippines’ growing depth in Southeast Asian Games weightlifting as younger athletes begin to challenge the region’s established stars.