Filipino jin Jesus Yape delivered the Philippines’ fourth gold in the 20th Asian Games after defeating Vietnam’s Ngoc Tuyet Sang Chau, 2‑0, in the mixed individual virtual taekwondo event on Friday morning at the Toyohashi Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan.
A Virtual Win—Literally—for Jesus Yape
Yape’s golden conquest came in unique fashion, as he won gold in the virtual space where jins wear a headset and sensors, with their characters shown on screen as avatars. They fight digitally, executing strikes as they normally would in an actual bout but without physically hitting each other.
This setup allows for the mixed format and eliminates the need for weight classes. Each match is a best‑of‑three, with each round lasting one minute.
Yape opened his campaign with a 2‑1 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Bushuaib Saber, then followed it up with a sweep of Japan’s Hayate Suzuki in the quarterfinals. He next swept Kazakhstan’s Rita Bakisheva to book a finals spot against Chau.
Second Medal for Jesus Yape and the Philippines’ Fourth Gold
The gold in the mixed individual virtual taekwondo is Jesus Yape’s second medal in the 20th Asian Games, following his bronze in the men’s individual poomsae on Thursday.
The 22‑year‑old posted an average score of 9.0900—9.100 in the first poomsae and 9.080 in the second—to finish third behind Thailand’s Navin Pinthasute, who won gold with 9.2800, and South Korea’s Yun Kyusung, who also scored 9.0900.
After Yape’s golden finish on Friday, the Philippines now has 4 gold medals in the 20th Asian Games, tying the country’s four‑gold performance in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. He joins Carlos Yulo, who won gold in men’s vault and floor exercise, and EJ Obiena, who captured the championship in men’s pole vault, as the Philippines’ gold‑medal winners in Aichi‑Nagoya.
As of this writing, the Philippines’ medal haul in the 20th Asian Games stands at 4 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 14 bronze medals for 15th place overall.
