Team PH sputters with just 3 silvers

RUBEN Gonzales Jr. (left) and Jeson Patrombon wait for Thailand’s return shot during their men’s doubles final at Kallang Tennis Centre. The Thais took the gold. RAFFY LERMA

SINGAPORE—The men’s doubles team in tennis, taekwondo jin Francis Agojo and a sailing crew produced silver medals Saturday as Team Philippines experienced an alarming gold drought in the homestretch of the Southeast Asian Games here.

Jeson Patrombon and Ruben Gonzales came up with just a silver medal after losing to their favored Thai opponents, who are twins, while skipper Lester Troy Tayong and crew Emerson Villena placed second in male 470 event of sailing held at National Sailing Center.

Agojo bowed to Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Duy, 23-9, in the final of the men’s 58 kg at Singapore Expo late Saturday.

Already lacking in medal contenders with still three more days of battle here, the Filipinos faced  the dim prospect of failing to surpass their gold medal output of 29 two years ago with only 24 golds to show by sundown.

Among the sports counted upon to salvage the PH campaign are the mixed and women’s doubles  in tennis and compound archery which are already in the gold-medal matches slated Sunday at Kallang Sports Complex.

The tournament favorite and defending champion men’s basketball team Sinag Pilipinas will face Thailand today for a spot in the finals at the OCBC Arena Hall.

Patrombon and Gonzales faltered against the strong court chemistry of twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana who took the gold with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

But the country, which also  settled  for a silver in women’s team tennis early in the tournament, still has two more chances of winning gold in the competitions through the mixed doubles and women’s double events.

Treat Huey and Denise Dy, the reigning champions in the tourney, drubbed Tamarine Tanasugarn and Sanchai Ratiwatana of Thailand, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the finals.

They will face another Thai pair Sonchat Ratiwatana and Peangtarn Plipuech in the gold medal match.

Also taking a crack at the gold on Sunday are Dy and Katharina Lehnert who barged into the finals of the women’s doubles following a 1-6, 6-2, 10-8 triumph over Thailand’s Tanasugarn and Plipuech in the semis.

In winning the country’s second silver in sailing—after the  male fleet racing keelboat last June 9—Tayong and Villena placed second to Singapore’s Darren Wong Choy. Thais Thanaphong Kamonvat and Navee Thansoontorn were third.
But there’s still a ray of hope in other fronts like rowing.

Nestor Cordova moved closer to the top prize Saturday after qualifying in the finals of the men’s 1,000-meter singles sculls at the picturesque Marina Channel.  So did Justine Vinas in the men’s 1,000m light sculls repechage.

As of 8:30 p.m., the Philippines remains in sixth place with a gold-silver-bronze tally of 24-32-59.  Thailand kept top spot at 77-73-59, followed by Singapore (74-64-94).