Jaehwa Bernardo

Members of the Philippine men's gymnastics team, who are set to compete at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PH men's gymnastics team bank on experience, camaraderie in SEA Games push

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763880290627GYMNASTICS.jfif" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Members of the Philippine men&#x27;s gymnastics team, who are set to compete at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the Philippine men&#x27;s gymnastics team, who are set to compete at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December. <em>Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – Veteran male gymnasts are raring to bring glory to the Philippines at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.</p><p>The country will be represented by SEA Games gold medalists in floor exercise John Ivan Cruz and in vault Miguel Besana, as well as silver medalists Ace de Leon and Jhon Santillan.</p><p>Team captain de Leon said he is more confident entering his fourth SEA Games.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/11/17/poc-chief-sees-uphill-battle-in-sea-games-eyes-matching-2023-medal-tally-2222">READ: POC chief sees uphill battle in SEA Games, eyes matching 2023 medal tally</a></div><p>&quot;Ngayon po mas ready ako than last time dahil yung mga skills ko hindi pa siya pulido pa. Minsan nagagawa, minsan hindi. Ngayon po pulido na po. Hindi po ako nawawalan ng pag-asa. Basta gagawin ko po best ko,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>&quot;Hindi na po ako siguro masyado kagaya ng dati na kabadong-kabado. Ngayon mataas na confidence ko. Kumbaga pag nandun na ako, hindi ko iisipin na baka magkamali ako. Isipin ko nalang na galingan ko,&quot; de Leon added.</p><p>Reigning vault champion Besana is looking forward to defending his title, which he sees as motivation to deliver a good and clean performance.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m planning to defend my vault title and hopefully getting new titles as well in either the parallel bars or horizontal bar. Preparations are going well. Just getting ready physically and mentally,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t see it as pressure but I see it as motivation to one up myself and to be able to keep my gymnastics in the top shape. If I feel pressure, I&#x27;ll accept being part of the national team,&quot; Besana added.</p><p>He said the goal is to get more medals than the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.</p><p>&quot;Hopefully we get to get more medals than last year. The team and I, we&#x27;re hoping to get at least four to five gold medals and hopefully all apparatus we get at least a silver or bronze as well,&quot; Besana said.</p><p>As for reigning floor exercise champion John Ivan Cruz, he is focused on giving his all in training to make sure he delivers on competition day.</p><p>&quot;Lagi ko sinasabi sa sarili ko, kailangan mo ng good performance for good results. Hindi ko po iniisip yung medals. Makapag-performance ako ng maayos, masaya na ako, panalo na ako doon,&quot; he said.</p><p>Cruz hopes to repay the trust given to him by his teammates and coaches by defending his floor exercise gold.</p><p>&quot;Ganun din po yung nasa utak ko that time. Ginawa ko lang po best ko para mapakita sa kanila kasi nagtiwala sa akin yung teammates ko. Wala din po si kuya Caloy nun, binigay niya sa akin yung moment na yun. Hindi ko sasayangin yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>Santillan is looking to perform his best, especially on pommel horse, in his second SEA Games stint.</p><p>&quot;Mas better po sa last SEA Games. And mas mag-improve sa ginawa ko nung last SEA Games. Yung goal makapag-finals sa event na lalaruan ko,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Yun din po yung gusto kong laruan and lagi kong tina-training. Feel ko kakayanin ko yung pommel and magiging mas better result ko sa pommel,&quot; Santillan added.</p><p>While the athletes are mostly veterans, coach Aldrin Apuyan said it will be his first time mentoring a team in an international competition.</p><p>&quot;First time ko so tingnan natin ano yung pwedeng mangyayari. Binibigay namin yung best namin. Nakakabigla, nakaka-shock kasi outside the country na ito eh. First time ko as a coach maglaro sa international. Lahat ng kaya ko mabibigay ko,&quot; he shared.</p><p>&quot;Marami akong natututunan sa pagpasok ko biglang coach. Lalo na sa coaches [and sa athletes] tinutulungan nila ako, binibigay nila lahat sa akin,&quot; Apuyan added.</p><p>Among the countries eyed as tough competition are Vietnam and host Thailand.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NO CARLOS YULO</strong></div><p>Two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo earlier decided to sit out the regional showcase due to limitations set by the local organizing committee.</p><p>De Leon said Yulo is confident in the squad&#x27;s capabilities to deliver for the country.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/11/21/carlos-yulo-to-focus-on-asian-games-bid-after-skipping-sea-games-1746">READ: Carlos Yulo to focus on Asian Games bid after skipping SEA Games</a></div><p>&quot;Wala naman pong pressure kasi actually kinausap niya kami about sa SEA Games. Marami rin siyang sinabi na kaya niyo na yun. Alam ko naman kapag sinabi ni kuya Caloy, alam namin na magagawa namin at makakaya namin,&quot; he shared.</p><p>&quot;He&#x27;s very supportive of the team as well. He&#x27;s kjust giving us good advice in our skills, in our routines. We can really feel the trust and support he has in us to get the medals in the SEA Games,&quot; Besana said.</p><p>Cruz said the trust from Yulo comes from their connection as teammates.</p><p>&quot;Kumbaga sa personal life din namin may mga nababahagi din siya sa amin kahit papaano na nakakatulong sa amin,&quot; he shared.</p><p>&quot;Alam niya po kasi kung ano yung nangyayari sa gym pag magkakasama kami. Nakikita rin niya yung training namin kaya ganun trust niya sa amin. Nagpapasalamat din kami,&quot; Cruz said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>GOOD VIBES, GOOD RESULTS</strong></div><p>De Leon said he always reminds his teammates to think positive and enjoy while doing their routines and during training. </p><p>&quot;Siyempre pagka wala yung enjoyment, mag-ooverthink kami. Mawawala kami sa focus, mag-ooverthink kami ganyan. Pero pag nag-eenjoy kami, doon nawawala yung kaba,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Minsan po nagkamali na, nawala na yung enjoyment, nawalan na ng gana. So parang pag susunod na apparatus na wala nang gana, so kami okay lang yan, okay lang yan, tuloy. Enjoy change mood para tuloy tuloy yung magandang mood,&quot; de Leon explained.</p><p>After competing in three SEA Games, Besana said he learned the importance of the team.</p><p>&quot;After each competition, I don&#x27;t see the competition as just playing for myself. But playing for my team, for God and for the country as well,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;We just share the energy to each other. When someone is down, we like to give our energy to them to bring them up. It&#x27;s hard to train when you are down yourself. You have to keep up with the team,&quot; Besana added.</p><p>The team will leave for Thailand on November 29 for their final training camp before the regional showcase.</p><p>&quot;Nag-ttraining camp kami para ma-advance namin, para magamay namin yung apparatus saka yung environment. Hindi kami mabibigla pag dating sa mismong competition,&quot; Apuyan said.</p><p>The 33rd SEA Games will run from December 9 to 20 in Thailand.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NpKegx3gpZ4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>Veteran male gymnasts are raring to bring glory to the Philippines at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.</p>

Veteran male gymnasts are raring to bring glory to the Philippines at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.