INCHEON, South Korea—A handful of bets try to ride a wave of newfound optimism today, with archery gunning for two medals and the women’s softball team opening a campaign filled with promise at the 17th Asian Games here.
Bantamweight Mario Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals in boxing after cruising to a unanimous decision victory over Nepal’s Puran Rai at Seonhak gymnasium. Later in the evening, Charly Suarez eked out a split victory over Akhmil Kumar of India, 2-1.
Fernandez and Suarez thus made it to the last eight, needing one more victory each to secure at least a bronze medal, even as the delegation endured a resounding Gilas Pilipinas defeat to Qatar, 68-77, at Hwaseong Sports Complex gymnasium and a rough patch in women’s golf over at Dream Park Country Club.
“The boxers are always our gold medal hopes in tournaments of this level,” said Richie Garcia, the Philippine Sports Commission chair who is the delegation’s chief of mission.
Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales Jr. served up a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Macau’s Marco Leung Tin Ho and Chan Chi Neng to warm up for their medal mission in men’s doubles of tennis at Yeorumul Tennis Courts.
That pairing was the country’s last surviving bet in tennis as the mixed pairs of Huey and Denise Dy as well as Gonzales and Katharina Lehnert were also shown the door.
Paul Marton dela Cruz shoots for at least a second silver medal against top Iranian archer Esmaeil Ebadi while hoping to anchor the men’s compound team to the bronze medal on Saturday at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. in Manila) at Geyang Asiad Archery field here (See story at right).
Dela Cruz, Earl Benjamin Yap and Ian Chipeco will also shoot for a bronze earlier at 10:50 a.m. here.
The Philippines is still stuck at two silver medals and a bronze, all from wushu.
The national softbelles, meanwhile, take on host South Korea in the opener of the women’s event at Songdo LNG Baseball Stadium. The game starts at 11 a.m. here.
The Blu Girls held one more practice Friday at a training facility near the tournament venue, engaging in a pickup game against reigning Asian champion China and its army of converted left-hand hitters. The match ended after five innings when heavy rains muddied the field and forced the girls to retreat.
The score was at 0-0, but the Blu Girls had more hits than the Chinese, 3-1.
“I think we have a great chance here,” said 20-year-old UNLV shortstop Garie Blando, one of six Fil-Ams who will reinforce the team here.
Princess Superal lost the putting touch that gave her a solid start and settled for a one-over 73, slipping into a tie for eighth place with a 142 aggregate, seven shots off Thailand’s Budsabakorn Sukapan, whose nine-under 135 total paces the women’s individual event.
Miya Legaspi shot an even 72 and Pauline del Rosario had a 73 as the Filipinos dropped to fourth with 284. They trail leader Thailand by 13 shots. South Korea was second at 276 while China leapfrogged the Philippines with 282.
“I didn’t putt well and didn’t hit that many birdies,” said Superal, who also struggled off the tee. She missed par-saving putts of eight and 16 feet for her two bogeys against a solitary birdie.
The men’s gold continued to struggle as Justin Quiban was the best-placed Filipino, tied for 28th after shooting a 74 for 145, 12 shots off halfway leader Youm Eun-ho of South Korea (66-133). The men’s team stood 31 shots off the lead after a 73 by Kristoffer Arevalo and a 74 by Rupert Gonzales.
In windsurfing, delegation flag-bearer Geylord Coveta still couldn’t find his rhythm and languished in sixth place, in a tie with John Harold Madrigal, in the RS:X event.
In swimming, Jasmine Alkhaldi finished fourth in her heat of the women’s 50 freestyle in 26.35 but failed to make the finals. Joshua Hall also missed the final of the men’s 50m free, finishing second in his heat in 28.67 seconds.
Bowling still could not hit its mark with the country’s best women’s duo—Liza del Rosario and Marian Posadas—rolling a combined 2,274 for 20th place, 279 pins behind the gold-winning tandem of South Korea’s Son Yunhee and Lee Nayoung (2,553).