W’polo bets fend off hosts for first win

HANOI — The Philippines beat Vietnam, 16-7, Tuesday to stoke its medal hopes in the water polo event of the 22nd Southeast Asian Games at the National Aquatics Center here.

The Filipinos never gave the Vietnamese much of a chance, racing to an early sizeable lead before fending off the hosts’ repeated attacks and rough tactics.

"It (win) was all due to the boys’ big heart, hard work, everything," said RP coach Rey Galang, whose team wound up fifth in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur edition of the games.

The victory came on the heels of the RP team’s narrow 7-6 defeat to defending champion Singapore at the start of the event last Monday and primed it up for a Wednesday meeting with Malaysia.

The Filipinos go for their second win in three games when they play Malaysia at 12:30 p.m. today.

With Tani Gomez taking the place of Allan Payawal as goalie and Galang instructing his boys to exert pressure all game-long, the Philippine defense proved to be solid enough.

Vietnam’s own chances were dimmed by its players’ propensity to find the crossbar rather than the gaps on Gomez’s often flailing arms.

The hosts’ hopes were fanned when they moved to within 6-13 after the third period. But Monsuito Pelenio and Ric Dilapdilap scored two goals opening up the fourth and the threat was quickly quelled.

Michael Jorolan, Dilapdilap, Frazier Alamara and Sherwin dela Paz made it 4-0 after the first seven-minute quarter.

The count ballooned to 7-0 before Vietnam scored two goals in the last 55 seconds of the second quarter, the last coming after time has seemingly expired.