17th Asian Games comes off wraps

INCHEON, South Korea—Geylord Coveta has recovered from the shock of his surprise appointment as Philippine flag bearer for today’s opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Games here.

Coveta will be one of two Filipino former world champions in the small group of athletes during the gala marchpast. They will be joined by chief of mission and Philippine Sports Commission chair Ricardo “Ritchie” Garcia and officials of the country’s Asian Games Task Force.

Coveta, who won the RS: One World Championship of windsurfing in 2012 in Boracay, said he was initially stunned by his selection as flag-bearer.

“Me, flag bearer?” Coveta recalled having said after he was informed by Garcia that he would take the place of basketball player Japeth Aguilar, who is to arrive with the rest of the Gilas Pilipinas team only on Saturday.

“I could not believe that they would give me the honor of carrying the flag,” added the 33-year-old Coveta, who trained for the Games off his barrio in Anilao, Batangas.

Coveta will plunge into action with three other Filipino sailors on Sept. 24 at Wangsan Sailing Marina here.

Josie Gabuco, the former world women’s boxing champion, will also take a prominent spot for the PH contingent during the parade.

The flyweight Gabuco, lightweight Nesthyn Petecio and veteran international campaigners Mark Anthony Barriga (light-flyweight) and Charly Suarez (lightweight) debut on Sept. 24 at Anyang Hogye Stadium.

Garcia led the Philippine delegation in yesterday’s traiditional flag-raising ceremony at the Athletes’ Village.

“We are now officially part of the Games,” he said in a brief speech. “Some of our athletes are here and have started training in their respective training and competition venues. No team will rest until we have achieved our goals in these Games.”

The Filipinos are looking forward to surpassing the three-gold, four-silver and nine-bronze output they achieved in Guangzhou, China, four years ago with a delegation of 150 athletes vying in 27 sports.

“Our faith in this team is firm,” said Garcia.

The country’s athletes in swimming, wushu, tennis, shooting, gymnastics, sailing, judo, weightlifting and bowling have earlier checked into the village.

The elaborate opening ceremonies prepared by the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee will have the theme: “Dream of 4.5 Billion People, Unified Asia.”

The program, dubbed “Meet the Future of Asia,” will show videos highlighting the contribution to sports of South Korea, which first hosted the Games in the southern province of Busan in 2002.