After overcoming a nagging adductor injury, a slow start, and some moments of self-doubt, former SEA Games silver medalist Hokett Delos Santos finally struck gold at the SEA Games 2025 in Bangkok.
An injury, a slow start, and moments of self-doubt.
Philippine bet Hokett Delos Santos overcame it all to capture gold in the men’s decathlon at the Southeast Asian Games 2025 on Friday, December 12.
Delos Santos, who ended day one of the grueling 10-event discipline with 3,446 points, surged in the Finals to finish with a total of 6,917 points—enough to fend off Thailand’s Suttisak Singkhon (6,649) for silver and Indonesia’s Idan Fauzan Richsan (6,582) for bronze.
Another Filipino, Janry Ubas, tallied 6,573 points, just missing the podium despite a strong day-one start of 3,771 points.
“I did it. I survived,” Delos Santos told Cignal’s Bea Escudero. “‘Yung day one ko sobrang baba ng performance, but ang focus ko talaga was to make day two count.”
The 23-year-old now adds a second SEA Games medal to his resume, following a silver in the 2021 SEA Games, where he finished behind EJ Obiena in the pole vault.
[ALSO READ: Hokett Delos Santos surprise addition to EJ Obiena's Atletang Ayala World Pole Vault Challenge]
Delos Santos’ triumph came despite a months-long battle with an adductor strain that hindered his training—and even made him consider quitting.
“Two months ago, I strained my adductor and hindi ako nakapag-ensayo ng maayos. Minsan gusto ko na rin mag-quit kasi bilang atleta, gusto mo palaging mag-perform. Pero lagi ko sinasabi sa sarili ko na kaya kong manalo basta magawa ko lang ‘yung ginagawa ko sa ensayo,” he said.
Yet, he pushed through and rose above the competition to secure the Philippines’ second athletics gold in the competition, following John Cabang Tolentino's victory in the men’s 110m hurdles earlier.
“Lagi ko iniisip na makakapag-perform ako kasi naniniwala ako na what we put inside [our mind], we will experience on the outside. Kaya ginawa ko po lahat,” Delos Santos added.
(With reports from Bea Escudero/Cignal)
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.