More PH athletes leave for Singapore SEA Games

The Philippine campaign in the Southeast Asian Games expects a big lift soon after a rough start in some of the early sporting events.

Over 200 national athletes left for Singapore after a celebratory sendoff yesterday at Naia Terminal 3 where Philippine deputy chief of mission Cynthia Carrion predicted that the country will double its gold-medal haul from 2013.

“We’re now looking forward to winning (more golds),” said Carrion during the sendoff for the bulk of the country’s 472-strong athletes, who will  kick off their campaign starting this weekend.

The Philippines had a tough start in the netball competitions where the country’s fledgling squad got severely routed followed by a 1-0 loss in football to host Singapore.

Singapore Airlines, the official airline partner of the 28th edition of the regional meet, hosted the sendoff for the huge delegation that included athletes and officials from athletics, softball, sepak takraw, shooting, billiards, judo, wushu, boxing, triathlon, rugby, tennis, petanque, diving and swimming.

“It’s more than just a sporting event, it’s going to be a 12-day fiesta in Singapore,” said Singapore Airlines general manager Carol Ong. “Sportsmanship is more than just competition. It’s about friendship, passion, dedication and bringing people together.”

“We’re aiming for 50 golds from several sports like gymnastics, taekwondo, wushu and other contact sports, and of course, basketball,” said Carrion.

Chief of mission Julian Camacho had predicted  the same number with  other officials even raising the victory total to 60 for the country, which is coming off one of its worst finishes at seventh place with 29 golds in the 2013 Burma  (Myanmar) edition.

Majority of the 462 Filipino athletes were already accounted for and another 58 athletes from women’s volleyball team led by flag-bearer Alyssa Valdez, swimming, judo, practical shooting and track and field are set to fly in Thursday.

Former world billiards champions Efren “Bata’’ Reyes and Rubilen Amit bannered the main bulk of arrivals yesterday along with the vaunted track and field team headed by double-gold prospect Archand Christian Bagsit and Marestella Torres.

Joining them were athletes from boxing, judo, petanque, rugby seven, sepak takraw, shooting, softball, lawn tennis, triathlon and wushu.

They’ll be scattered in 18 hotels across the metropolis.

Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are the favorites to dispute the overall title with the Thais, determined to retain their supremacy in the region, bringing a massive army of 1,100 athletes and officials in all 36 sports.

Thailand, beaming with world-class athletes, had 107 gold, 94 silver and 81 bronze medals in Burma, which surged to second overall with an astounding 86-62-85 gold-silver-bronze haul.