Filipino fighters assured of 2 golds

DARWIN, N.T., Australia – The Philippines stayed on track for a top 10 finish in the 2001 Arafura Games here with five golds in sight – two of which are already in the bag.

Six Filipino pugs go for the gold in four finals featuring two all-Filipino bouts while Bernardine Aurell Sepulveda takes a crack at the girls singles gold against top seed Sarah Andrews of the Northern Territory in lawn tennis on Friday.

On Thursday, the Philippines’ gold medal spree went to a sudden halt after wins by judoka Paili Tancontian, swimmer Norton Alamara (2), and the Cebu boys lawn tennis squad. The Filipinos – represented here mostly by up and coming athletes from Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, Zamboanga, Marawi, Cagayan de Oro and Davao Oriental – settled for the bronze in lawn tennis through Cebuano netter James Dumoran in the boys singles.

Two of Friday’s all-Filipino finals in boxing will pit Welbert Eballes of RP-Davao against Franklin Albia of RP-Cebu in the flyweight class and defending bantamweight winner Deck Varron of RP-Davao staking his 1999 bantamweight diadem against Ninolito Jalnaiz of RP-Cebu. Those twin all-Pinoy finals automatically give the Philippines a pair of golds and silvers.

The other finalists are lightflyweight Rico Laput of RP-Davao who is eyeing the gold against a tough Zamzai Azizi of Malaysia, and featherweight Jesar Ancajas (RP-Davao) who will go up against Gregoy Eadie of New South Wales.

"Maganda ang chances natin. Kailangan lang maging maingat dahil matibay din ang mga kalaban," said RP coaches Romeo Desabille and Pedro Cuizon on the eve of the finals.

The Philippines finished Thursday at the 11th spot overall with four golds, six silvers and a bronze, but could wind up eight or ninth if the boxers deliver. Australia is the virtual runaway overall champion with 245 golds, 222 silvers and 193 bronzes with two more days of competition left. The rest of the top 10 are Malaysia (22-18-16), New Zealand (9-8-5), Vietnam (9-5-4), New Caledonia (9-5-3), Macau (8-12-10), Papua New Guinea (8-12-9), Thailand (8-5-3), China (6-5-6) and Guam (5-2-7).

"So far so good. I think our athletes have outperformed themselves and I am personally satisfied with their performance so far," RP head of delegation Commissioner William Ramirez of the Philippines Sports Commission said.

Long distance ace Ruel Ano will close out RP’s campaign of the seventh edition of the Games in this Northern Territory capital on Sunday. Ano will compete in the half marathon.