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Lester Pimentel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lester Pimentel
Sport
SportWushu
Event(s)Changquan, Jianshu, Gunshu
TeamPhilippines Wushu Team
Medal record
Men's Wushu Taolu
Representing  Philippines
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Baltimore Jianshu
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 Manila Jianshu
SEA Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Manila Duilian
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Manila Changquan
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Manila Gunshu

Lester Pinentel Ong is a food entrepreneur, filmmaker, stuntman, and retired competitive wushu taolu athlete from the Philippines.

Career

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Pimentel made his international debut at the 1991 SEA Games where he won bronze medals in changquan and gunshu.[1][2] Years later, he became the world champion in jianshu at the 1995 World Wushu Championships.[3] The following year he also became the Asian champion in jianshu at the 1996 Asian Wushu Championships.[4] He decided to take a break from practicing wushu and focus on school graduation.

After graduating school in 1997, Pimentel decided to work as a stockbroker before going broke due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis.[5] He decided to work as a stuntman and coordinator on films with his friends and colleagues.[5] In 1999, he founded Rice in a Box, a fast-food place which serves fried rice with toppings.[5] The first location was in Pasay and has grown to over 100 franchises across the Philippines, thus Pimentel's company grew to become the Binondo Food Group.[5][6][7]

Several years later, Pimentel returned to wushu competition for the 2005 SEA Games where he won the gold medal in duilian.[8]

In 2022, Pimentel directed 'The Iron Heart' which became known for its stunts work.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "SEA Games Medalists Since 1991". Philippine Olympic Committee. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  2. ^ "SEA Games Medalists Since 1991". Philippine Olympic Committee. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  3. ^ "1995 World Wushu Championships Results" (PDF). International Wushu Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-24.
  4. ^ "china, philippines lead in asian wushu championships". Xinhua News Agency. Manila. 1996-11-14. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  5. ^ a b c d Limos, Mario Alvaro (2023-08-31). "This martial artist built an empire when the world's economy collapsed". GMA New Media. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  6. ^ Tomada, Nathalie (2023-03-04). "Direk Lester Ong upbeat about more int'l opportunities for Philippines-made action content". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  7. ^ Ong, Henry (2023-08-29). "Financial Adviser: 5 Business Lessons Everyone Can Learn from 'Chao Fan King' Lester Pimentel Ong, Founder and CEO of Binondo Food Group". Esquire Philippines.
  8. ^ "WUSHU RESULTS". 2005seagames.com. 2005-11-30. Archived from the original on 2006-06-21. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  9. ^ Requintina, Robert (2023-08-15). "'The Iron Heart' director Lester Pimentel Ong: Time for award-giving bodies to honor stunt work". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
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