Hot start for wushu bets
NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar—Team Philippines cannot afford another series of tragedies that struck the country back home.
Wushu artists Daniel Parantac and John Keithley Chan provided a silver of hope in taolu while four sanda fighters came one victory shy of seizing triumph even before the 27th Southeast Asian Games formally unfurls Tuesday at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium here.
The men’s duilian team of Parantac and Chan placed second in the subjective event similar to the kata of karatedo after narrowly losing to Myanmar’s Kyaw Zin Thit and Wai Phyo Aung on Saturday by the slimmest of margins—9.64 points over the Filipino tandem’s 9.62.
Warriors Dermbert Arcita (52kg), Jessie Aligaga (48kg), Evita Zamora (56kg) and Divine Wally (48kg) assured themselves of silver medals and moved on to the title- fight after toppling their semifinal rivals.
Aside from a clump of guaranteed silvers, eight boxers assured themselves of a bronze medal each in this capital city.
Asian Games champion Rey Saludar gained a semifinal stint without throwing a single punch in the flyweight division along with middleweight Wilfredo Lopez, bantam Mario Fernandez.
Sure bronze
Reigning light welter champion Dennis Galvan downed Cambodian Ratha Svay,
3-0, for a sure bronze as well.
Earning the same fortune due to the dearth of participants in the women’s category were pinweight champion Josie Gabuco, bantam Irish Magno, flyweight Maricris Igam and featherweight Nesthy Petecio.
The Philippines finished sixth overall with an output of 36 gold, 56 silver and 77 bronze medals produced by 512 athletes in 31 sports back in 2011 Indonesia.
There were no promising projections but Chef de mission Jeff Tamayo said the 210-athlete delegation is fired up after the athletes, playing in 26 out of 35 sports spread out in four different venues, dedicated their performance to the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Eastern Visayas, the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu, and the war in Zamboanga.
“They (victims) need something to cheer them up and help raise their spirits even if for only some brief moments,” said Tamayo.
According to a thorough study made by the Philippine Sports Commission, Filipino athletes could win a maximum of 49 gold medals and a minimum of 32.
PSC Commissioner Jolly Gomez said the projection was based on discussion with coaches apart from the results of the previous SEAG and the Asian Games as well as the Olympics.
High expectations
Expectations are high for men’s basketball led by naturalized center Marcus Douthit and Gilas cadet mainstay Kevin Alas to sustain its supremacy in the Games. The Philippine five dominated the Games in all but one tournament (1989 Kuala Lumpur) since 1977.
They’ll begin the hunt opposite the Singaporeans while Perlas Pilipinas, the women’s basketball squad, also opens its bid versus the Malaysians at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium.
Pencak silat’s Jul Omar Abdulhakim (men’s 50-55 kg), Jayrashley Kiram (80-85 kg), Nerlyn Huinda (women’s 55-60 kg) and Clyde Joy Baria (70-75 kg) aim to reverse the warriors’ sorry medal shutout in 2011 Indonesia starting today.
Over in Yangon, Burma’s former capital, wrestling kicks off at the National Indoor Stadium with defending Greco Roman champion Margarito Angana Jr. (55 kg) and Noel Norada (60 kg) getting the first crack on the mat.
The rest of the delegation is arriving in trickles with road cycling (eight athletes), chess (11) and weightlifting (3) due today along with POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros. The Shooting, equestrian and swimming teams are expected to arrive on Tuesday.
