Kurt Barbosa wins silver in men's taekwondo at 2026 Asian Games
Team Philippines is adding another medal to the haul as taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa won silver in men's taekwondo at the 2026 Asian Games.
Barbosa fell to Kazakhstan's Tamirlan Tleules in the men's under-58-kilogram final on Friday, Oct. 2, in Toyohashi, Japan, settling for silver after a hard-fought run for the gold medal.
Barbosa and Tleules battled closely in the opening round of the final, with the Kazakh fighter taking the lead. Tleules pulled away in the second round to secure the victory and claim the gold.
Despite the defeat, Barbosa's run is an improvement compared to his campaign in the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China, where he was defeated in the round of 32.
Barbosa's silver came on the same day that fellow Filipino jin Tachiana Mangin also finished with a silver medal. The 18-year-old bagged silver after losing to China's Ma Jingyue in the final of the women's -49kg class.
With Barbosa's silver, the Philippine medal tally for the 20th Asian Games stands at 28, with 16 bronze medals, eight silvers, and four golds.