Thailand taps Yulo’s former Japanese coach

Sports

Call it the Carlos Yulo effect.

In a bid to produce its own world-class gymnasts, the Gymnastics Association of Thailand has tapped the services of Munehiro Kugimiya, the Japanese coach who played a huge role in Yulo's meteoric rise.

In a Facebook post, GAT has shared photos showing Kugimiya training with some of Thailand's gymnastics athletes.

Yulo had trained with Kugimiya for several years in Japan. The partnership yielded tremendous results when Yulo won gold in the 2029 World Championships via his pet event—the floor exercise.

The partnership came to an abrupt end when Yulo and Kugimiya parted ways just months before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Personal reasons were cited for the break-up.

Despite the ending of his partnership with Kugiyima, Yulo still came up with a stellar performance in the Games where he pulled off a historic double-gold feat.

Yulo ruled the floor and vault events of the men’s artistic gymnastics, making him the first Filipino Olympian to win two golds in the same Olympics.

Yulo was with Cebuano coach Allen Aldrin Castañeda during his historic Paris run. Under a Philippine law, Yulo’s double-gold performance will earn him P40 million with

Castañeda getting his own cash incentive which will be equivalent to 50 percent of his ward’s monetary reward.

Aside from the government, various private companies have pledged rewards for the diminutive Yulo.

Yulo and some members of Team Philippines have arrived home and were treated to a hero’s welcome at the Malacañan Palace where President Ferdidnand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. promised a P1 million cash incentive for each of the 22 Filipino athletes who competed in Paris.(CCM)