Bambol Tolentino eyes better Asian Games output

FILE–Philippines’ flagbearer Jordan Clarkson leads the delegation during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno main stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN

TAGAYTAY CITY—Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo won’t be able to shoot for the gold in the 19th Asian Games (Asiad), but athletes from other sports can gladly step up to the plate.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino is confident of that.

“Our target is to better our performance from the previous Asian Games,’’ Tolentino said on Monday after the Hangzhou Asian Games Fun Run organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the POC to promote the coming Asiad.

“I’m confident that other sports can help us accomplish that goal,’’ added the Tagaytay City mayor.

Yulo has a shot at multiple golds in the continental meet as evidenced by his sterling output in the 2022 Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar, where the two-time world champion collected three golds in the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

Gymnastics officials, however, prefer that the 4-foot-11 dynamo compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, which runs in conflict with the Asiad in Hangzhou, China.

Four golds

The Asiad will run from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 while the Belgium event, a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, will get going from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8.

“It would be nice to have Carlos (at the Asian Games). I don’t think he will play, I’m just teasing him,’’ said Tolentino.

Team Philippines nailed four gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia—two from women’s individual golf courtesy of Yuka Saso and the women’s squad of Bianca Pagdanganan, Lois Kaye Go and Saso plus victories from skateboarder Margielyn Didal and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo.

“We are capable of topping that. We still have our boxers, weightlifters, EJ (Obiena) in pole vault and even in swimming,’’ said Tolentino.

Tagaytay City’s invitingly cool weather provided the perfect condition for the POC’s successful hosting of the fun run with OCA officials Wissam Trkmani (projects and operations manager) and Jeans Zhou Jian (director of media and broadcast) in attendance.

“We are proud that the POC, Tagaytay City and the country have become part of this symbolic fun run that not only helps promote the Asian Games but also reiterates the Philippines’ very important and historic role in why these very Games were organized more than a century ago,” said Tolentino.

Asian Games birthplace

The Philippines is acknowledged as the birthplace of the Asian Games when the first Far Eastern Olympic Games was staged in January and February in 1913 in the very same Malate area where the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex stands.

“Everything’s perfect, Tagaytay City is perfect for this fun run,” said Tolentino moments before he was joined by Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee HR director Chen Qiufang in flagging off the runners in waves for the 6K, 3K and 1K categories.

Nearly 500 runners participated in the fun run, including Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial (boxing), Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Agatha Wong (wushu), Samuel Morrison (taekwondo), Jason Balabal (wrestling), Mark Julius Rodelas and Precious Satarain (obstacle racing), two-time Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi (swimming), softball’s Francesca Almonte and POC Athletes Commission chair Nikko Huelgas (triathlon).

Aside from Obiena, other Asiad medal hopefuls include Olympic gold medalist Diaz-Naranjo and fellow weightlifter Vanessa Sarno and Olympic silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio of boxing. INQ