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SEA Games: Team Lakay’s Mark Sangiao brings One Championship MMA stars and his magic touch to Philippines

  • ‘Coach Mark’ has a knack for honing home-grown talent and has been tapped to coach the Philippines’ national kick-boxing team
  • ‘Our athletes will compete with all their heart. We carry the entire country on our shoulders,’ Sangiao says

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Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao celebrates with Eduard Folayang. Photos: One Championship
As the Philippines comes calling for his services once more at the 2019 SEA Games, Team Lakay linchpin Mark Sangiao is hoping to produce the same magic that catapulted him to prominence as both MMA and wushu coach.
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“Coach Mark”, as he is affectionately known, has a knack for honing home-grown talent and has never failed to produce a world champion in whichever sport he dips his toes into.

Sangiao has been tapped to coach the national kick-boxing team at the Games in the Philippines. The kick-boxing event will run from December 7 to 10 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

“The nation can expect our athletes will compete with all their heart. We carry the entire country on our shoulders, so we've been working hard since day one of our training,” Sangiao told the Post in Manila.

Alongside former boxer Glenn Mondol and Olympian Donald Geisler, he will be mentoring eight athletes, with three of them from Filipino MMA stable Team Lakay in Gina Iniong, Jerry Olsim and Jean Claude Saclag.

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