PALEMBANG—The national team in traditional boat racing made an emphatic statement Sunday in ruling the 500m 20-man crew race of the 26th Southeast Asian Games and beating world-class opponents at the Cipule Lake in West Java.
Challenged to prove their worth by a raging controversy at home, the Filipino paddlers clocked 1:53.95 despite the heavy and shallow waters of the man-made lake to upend the monstrous crew of Myanmar than won silver with 1:54.12. Thailand was third (156.21), Cambodia fourth (1:57.27) and the frustrated host, Indonesia was fifth (1:57.64).
Not in any way overshadowed was Alfie Catalan’s gold medal in the individual pursuit event of cycling, his third gold medal in four stagings of the SEAG since 2005 and first of his team in this edition. Catalan’s 4:53.103 beat the 4:56.103 of local boy Warseso Projo and 5:00.009 of compatriot John Renee Mier, who took bronze.
The baseball squad, heavy rains and all, controlled Indonesia, 2-0 in a close gold-medal match to complete the Philippines’ afternoon delight.
A number of semifinal-round matches in soft tennis-men’s doubles, mixed doubles and women’s doubles—were also called off as the new tennis courts were already flooded.
“Salamat sa Diyos at sa prayers ng ating mga kababayan,” said canoe/kayak federation secretary general Jonne Go feeling all vindicated after the controversy that ensued in the association’s take-over of dragon boat affairs from the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.
In the medal picture of 4 p.m. Sunday (5 p.m. Manila) Indonesia is applying the finishing touches to an eighth overall championship, amassing a massive 143-116-107, gold-silver-bronze tally, while Thailand recovered second spot on an 88-77-98 card, while Vietnam was back in third after six days with 80-79-84.
Malaysia is not keen on looking back with 49-44-66 at fourth and Singapore is holding on to fifth like a leech with 39-41-71.
Regretful for not scoring in many fronts considered to be their strength, the Filipinos are at sixth after the three gold snared on Sunday with 26-45-64.
Wushu World Championships silver medallist Marianne Mariano was first of six sanda semifinalists to advance with a victory over Su Huilaing Oo of Myanmar, although Rhea Mae Rifani was stalled to a bronze finish by Thi Bich Nguyen of Vietnam. Others still in the hunt for gold are mixed-martial artists Edward Folayang and Mark Eddiva, Benjie Rivera and reigning world champion Dembert Arcita.
Sunday night, the Filipinos are still in contention for the men’s basketball crown, men’s Masters of bowling, where singles champion Frederick Ong and Asian Games champ Biboy Rivera are in the thick of things and in weightlifting featuring Olympian Hidilyn Diaz in the 58 kgs class.
There are also three judokas—Filipino-Japanese Kenji Hayata (90 kgs) and female Kyonomi Watanabe (70 kgs) and defending titlist Ruth Duga Duga (78 kgs)—hunting for gold Sunday night. Hayata, the number three man in the All-Japan list, and Duga Duga are favoured in their weight class.
On the last day of competitions, the 12 gold medals in paragliding will be awarded although the standings of Filipino competitors do not look very encouraging.
As such, the Philippines will bank on the sanda finals of wushu, cycling, equestrian, chess, soft tennis and tennis and boxing and chess.
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