Sam Catantan’s bid for an Asian Games medal came to a heartbreaking close on Wednesday, but the Filipino fencer’s resolve remained unbroken even as tears streamed down her face at the Aichi Sky Expo.

The 24-year-old Olympian fell to South Korea’s Park Jihee, 15-10, in the quarterfinals of the women’s individual foil event at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. It was a bruising exit for one of the Philippines’ brightest fencing hopefuls, but Catantan refused to let the defeat define her tournament.

Her younger sister, Janna Catantan, also suffered elimination on the same day, falling to Singapore’s Maxine Jie Xin Wong, 2-15, in the round of 32 of the same event—compounding a difficult afternoon for the Catantan family.

Catantan Vows to Turn Heartbreak Into Motivation

Despite the tough loss, Catantan held her composure when speaking to reporters, choosing perspective over despair. She said she was proud of how she competed, noting that she never stopped fighting even as the match slipped away.

“I’m really proud with how I fenced today. Up to the end, I did not give up. So I’m very proud of that. Unfortunately, it’s sports, it could go either way,” Catantan said following her quarterfinal exit.

Rather than dwelling on the setback, Catantan framed the tournament as a crucial checkpoint ahead of a bigger goal. She said gauging her current form was one of her top priorities heading into Nagoya, with an eye toward the upcoming Olympic qualifying season.

“One of my main goals for this tournament is to see where I’m at currently and work after to be better and to hopefully get better results for the upcoming Olympic qualifying season,” she said. She added that every competition offers the same lesson: never give up, aim for better results, and work harder.

Philippine Fencing Squad Faces Rough Day in Nagoya

Catantan’s exit was part of a broader stretch of difficulty for the Philippine fencing delegation at the Asian Games. In the men’s individual sabre event, Christian Jhester Concepcion and Eunice Daniel Villanueva both fell short against tough international competition.

Concepcion dropped his round-of-16 match to Iran’s Mohammad Fotouhi Firozabad, 7-15, while Villanueva was defeated by Saudi Arabia’s Adel Mukhlid Almutairi, 9-15, in the round of 32. Both results added to a challenging day for the Filipino contingent in Japan.

Still, the setbacks weren’t enough to dim the team’s momentum heading into the back half of the fencing competition. Four more Philippine fencers are set to take the strip on Thursday, hoping to turn the squad’s fortunes around.

Jian Miguel Bautista and Noelito Jose Jr. will compete in the men’s épée event, while Jylyn Nicanor and Queen Denice Dalmacio will represent the country in women’s individual sabre. For a team that endured a rough Wednesday, Thursday offers a fresh shot at redemption on the Asian Games stage.