Published by: Iana Henson
Date Published: October 15, 2025
Time Published: 3:00 PM
Lovely Mae “Bebang” Orbeta has turned history into reality, gifting the Philippines its first-ever gold medal at the World Darts Federation (WDF) World Cup inside the Kintex 10A Hall in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, Saturday, September 27.
The 20-year-old University of Caloocan City student displayed exceptional composure and skill, defeating American veteran Paula Murphy with a 7–2 victory in the women's singles final.
Earlier in the semifinals, Orbeta overcame Germany’s Irina Armstrong 6–2, delivering a remarkable performance that included three 180s. She also secured victories over Japan’s Mikuru Suzuki, Slovakia’s Lucia Jankovskรก, and Scotland’s Sophie McKinlay.
“This victory is for the country and for all Filipino darters,” Orbeta declared, dedicating her triumph to the community that has supported her journey.
The Philippines' success continued with Alexis Toylo and Noel Malicdem earning bronze medals in the men's pairs category.
After defeating Sweden’s Johan Engstrรถm and Andreas Harrysson, and England’s Chas Barstow and Jarred Cole, they advanced to the semifinals but were defeated by the Netherlands' Jimmy van Schie and Danny van Trijp.
In the women's team event, Orbeta joined Janice Hinojales, Aileen Oclarit, and Gisele Bulahao to secure another bronze medal. The team achieved victories over Canada and Switzerland before falling to Ireland in the semifinals.
Adding to the Philippines' achievements, Lourence Ilagan captured the WDF Gold Ranking Event title at the Korea Open, defeating Australia's Raymond Smith 6–4. This victory marked his first WDF ranking event win in a decade.
With Orbeta's historic gold and multiple podium finishes across events, the Philippines' performance at the 2025 WDF World Cup and Korea Open has been hailed as a significant milestone for Filipino darts on the international stage.
REFERENCES:
[1] GMA Integrated News. (2025, September 30). PH darts ace Lovely Mae Orbeta captures historic gold in WDF World Cup. GMA News Online. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/othersports/960775/pinay-darts-ace-lovely-mae-orbeta-captures-historic-gold-in-wdf-world-cup/story/
[2] Montejo, M. R. (2025, September 27). Rising dart star “Bebang” Orbeta captures first gold in Korea tourney. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/27/ph-darters-bag-two-bronzes-in-korea-tourney
[3] Caluag, R. (2025, September 29). Orbeta wins historic 1st World Darts’ gold for PH. Manila Standard. https://manilastandard.net/sports/314649068/orbeta-wins-historic-1st-world-darts-gold-for-ph.html
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