PH bags silver medal in men’s sepak takraw

PH Chinlone team wins the 1st silver for the country during the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

KUALA LUMPUR — The Philippines disputed the 29th Southeast Asian Games’ first gold medal against the host Malaysia Wednesday but in the end had to settle for silver for its first medal of the meet.

John Jeffrey Morcillos, Johnjohn Bobier, Rhemwil Catana, Ronsited Gabayeron, Joeart Jumawan, Alvin Pangan second place in sepak takraw men’s chinlone (linking) event at Stadium Titiwangsa here.

The host, playing to the court that included its sports minister, piled up 391 total points after two rounds in the finals to claim the gold medal.

The Philippines, seeing action for the first time in chin lone, garnered 271.

“It should have been a close fight,” said head coach Metodio Suico Jr., who cited the umpire’s questionable calls in the match.

Team manager Virginia Tanchangco said the country fielded in a developmental team for chin lone — they will have one more shot in the chine lone non-repetition event Thursday.

“We are really expected to perform in regu (match), because we are just first-timers here,” said Tanchangco of the sepak team that could only win a silver two years ago in Singapore.

The team trained for two months in Iloilo City and it paid off in terms of developing camaraderie, according to Suico.

Regie Reznan Pabriga and John Carlo Lee served as team reserves.