Still no gold

PH Men’s Archery composed of Earl Benjamin Yap, Joseph Vicencio and Paul Marton Dela Cruz bags the Bronze medal at the 2017 SEA Games in KL, Malaysia. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

KUALA LUMPUR—Archery missed its gold medal target and had to settle for bronze in men’s compound team, but Filipinos in other sports had it worse on Thursday in the Southeast Asian Games here.

The trio of Earl Benjamin Yap, Joseph Benjamin Vicencio and Paul Marton Dela Cruz tripped Vietnam, 233-230, in the battle for third to clinch the country’s second bronze in the sport.

It was the saving grace for Team Philippines, which has yet to capture a gold from the few sports that started before Saturday’s opening ceremony.

Host Malaysia has collected three golds already to lead the tally, with Indonesia and Myanmar having two each. Powerhouse Thailand still has no gold so far.

Water polo, sepak takraw, netball and women’s football all sputtered in different venues around this city that is beautifully strewn with pocket lush vegetation and wide highways.

Women’s football managed to hold off four-time SEA Games champion Vietnam for one full half only to lose that grip and suffer a 3-0 beating at University of Malaya Stadium.

Vietnam managed to score only in the 64th on a short stab by Huynh Nhu, opening the floodgates of goals from the 7th ranked nation in Asian women’s football.

The Malditas are still on a hunt for medal as they hold a 1-1 record. It was Vietnam’s first match.

Water polo put up a tough stand against perennial champion Singapore before dropping a 7-5 loss at Aquatics Center of Bukit Jalili National Stadium.

The water polo squad suffered its second straight defeat after a rousing debut win over Thailand.

Over at Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara, netball continued to be the runt of the litter losing its third straight game, this time at the hands of defending champion Singapore, 91-22.

Sepak takraw men’s chinlone team finished fifth in Event 4 (non-repetition), a day after gifting the country a silver in Event 3 (linking).

Men’s football  lost to Indonesia, 3-0, late in the evening as the Philippines failed to follow up its 2-0 victory over Cambodia in the opener.