SEA Games: Myanmar crushes PH Azkals, 5-0

JAKARTA—Ranged against a regional force, the Philippine Under-23 men’s football team took its worst loss, 0-5, at the hands of Myanmar on Sunday night in the 26th Southeast Asian Games at the Lebak Bulis pitch here.

The Burmese were in attack mode all match with skipper Aye San breaking the Philippine defense right in the 11th minute before Kyaw Zevar Win scored again in the 41st to set the tone of the rout.

Myanmar kept its share of the Group B lead with Vietnam after rising to 3-1-0 for 10 points.

It was the third loss in four games for the Azkals, who also took a 1-3 beating at the hands of the Vietnamese and a 1-2 defeat from Timor Leste despite drawing first blood in both matches.

The only Philippine victory thus far in the sport came Saturday night when Joshua Beloya knocked in two goals inside the final four minutes to key a 3-2 victory over Laos and enable the Azkals to salvage some measure of pride.

“It (the lopsided loss) is very disappointing because we played better as a team tonight,” team manager Dan Palami said.

“There were several lapses on defense and it highlighted the fact that what we have here is a very young team.”

“We had our chances offensively but just couldn’t convert,” he continued. “Had we gotten this team earlier and played them in more international tournaments, it would have been better.”

Even with a win in their final Group B match at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. in Manila) against Brunei on Tuesday, the Azkals will bow out without a medal, keeping the Philippines without one in its long participation in the sport.

Meanwhile, Marites Bitbit guns for the gold in the 24-kilometer Individual Time Trial in cycling Monday, looking to duplicate her feat in 2007 in Thailand even as Mark Galedo and Ronald Gorantes campaign in the 50-km men’s ITT.

Cycling will be held in Pemanukan and Subang in West Java.

Bitbit and Co. hope to fare better than Nino Surban, the Cebu native who checked in third in the cross country mountain bike competition behind Indonesia’s Chandra Rafsanjani and Bandi Sugito.
Surban finished six minutes and 19 seconds behind Rafsanjani.

In fencing, Harlene Orendain and Michelle Bruzola see action in the women’s individual epee, while Emerson Segui and Ramil Endriano shoot for medals in the men’s individual foil at the University of Indonesia campus also in West Java.

Rowing also hopes to contribute to the Philippine medal tally with Nestor Cordova in the men’s singles skulls and erase bitter results the country suffered in canoe/kayak.

Danny Funelas, despite the high expectations, floundered yet again by finishing dead last in a five-man field in his pet event, the 200-meter canoe singles.

He clocked 44.53 seconds for the distance which was ruled by Indonesia’s Anwar Tara in 42.34.
Alex Generalo wound up sixth among seven entries in the 200-meter kayak final in 41.68.

Nguyen Thang Quang of Vietnam won the gold in 36.66, followed by Kamensit Borriboon of Thailand with a time of 37.27.

Alex’ partnership with twin brother Alvin was also a disappointment as they came in last in 39.59 seconds in the 200-meter kayak doubles which Natthawat Waenphro and Anusorn Sommit won in 35.06.

Norwell Cajes and Funelas also brought up the rear of the five-team canoe 200-meter doubles finals in 42.50, finishing more than three seconds behind Tarra and Eka Octarorianus of Indonesia, who clocked 38.82.

Bronze medals also came courtesy of taekwondo’s Carla Avala in the 68-kg women’s division and Samuel Morrison in the 63-kg, while karate contributed three third place finishes by Mae Soriano in the 55-kg, Jayson Makaalay (60kg) and Ronel Balingit (84kg) kumite events.

Morrison, a gold medal winner in 2009 in Laos, lost to eventual champion Kongpon Koomkron in the semifinals and settled for the bronze with Mohd Affifuddin of Malaysia.