MANILA — Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Thursday praised Filipino gymnast and Olympic champion Carlos Yulo, calling his double gold medal victories during the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics a “real milestone” not just for Filipinos, but for Southeast Asians as well.

Yulo recently made history by winning back-to-back gold medals for the Philippines during the male floor exercise and vault events in the 2024 Olympic Games.

“I should say, by the way, that, and you know, these things do matter, there was just something very impressive about the performance of Filipino athletes of the Olympic games,” Shanmugaratnam told President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during their bilateral meeting in Malacanang.

“Oh, thank you,” the Philippine leader responded.

“Mr. Yulo’s two golds are the --- he’s the only athlete from Southeast Asia, from an Asian nation whose had two Olympic golds ever in Asia,” Shanmugaratnam continued.

“So, it’s a real milestone, it’s a real milestone for all of us,  I mean we shine a bit of a reflected glory of the Philippines,” the Singaporean leader added.

“We’re very, very proud. The welcome that the people gave was really overwhelming. They just have, yesterday, they arrived a day before yesterday. Yesterday he had a big parade through the city. Because Yulo, who won two golds, comes from the city of Manila,” President Marcos said.

“It was really, really very happy day for the entire Philippines. Thank you, very much,” Marcos Jr. added.

Shanmugaratnam is in the Philippines for a 3-day state visit upon the invitation of President Marcos Jr. His visit coincides with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Singapore-Philippines diplomatic relations.