Thai, Indon ’04 Olympic winners here

Bacolod is a mere satellite venue for the coming 23rd Southeast Asian Games but will have the honor and privilege to host athletes who won medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

At the moment, the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee has not actually received the lists of athletes competing in the games.

But Philsoc has received a large number of accreditation applications from the Thai media for the Bacolod events, indicating that Olympic medal-winning boxers and weightlifters of Thailand are coming to town.

Thailand produced three gold medals courtesy of boxer Manus Boonjumnong (light welterweight) and weightlifters Udompom Polsak (women’s 53kg) and Pawina Thongsuk (women’s 75kg) in Athens.

The Thais also won a silver medal through boxer Worapoj Petchkoom (bantamweight) and four bronze medals through boxer Suriya Prasathinphimai (middleweight), taekwondo jin Yaowapa Boorapolchai (women’s under 49kg) and weightlifters Aree Wiratthaworn (48kg) and Wandee Kameaim (58kg), underscoring their emergence as the new sports power in the Southeast Asian region.

Incidentally, boxing and weightlifting are two of four events to be played in Bacolod. The two other events are men’s football and volleyball (both the indoor game and the beach volley).

Indonesia also had a weightlifter who made a podium finish in Athens. Raema Lisa Rumbewas placed second behind Polsak in the women’s 53kg.

"Using the application of Thai media as benchmark, we expect around 500 media people in Bacolod. Lumaki ang interest ng foreign media sa weightlifting in the SEA Games because of the Thai and Indon success in the last Olympics," said Bacolod SEA Games Organizing Committee secretary-general Eric Loretizo.

"At mukhang almost half of the media contingent are going to Bacolod also because of football which is the premier event of our neighbor countries," Loretizo added.

The grand ballroom of the Business Inn serves as the main press center in Bacolod during the games slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5.

Action in Bacolod actually begins Nov. 20 with the early start of the men’s football at the Panaad Sports Complex and the Paglaum Sports Center.

Bacolod is to host around 1,000 athletes and officials who will take part in boxing, weightlifting, football and volleyball to be played in five different venues around the city. The Negros Occidental capital will also have its own opening rites at the Panaad Sports Complex on Nov. 27.

The Negrenses said they won’t be surprised if they come up with a better opening show than the one to be held at the Rizal Park with the province known for its several annual festivities, most specially the Masskara.

A total of 29 gold medals will be at stake in the four Bacolod events with the men’s football final to highlight hostilities on Dec. 4 at the Panaad Sports Complex.

Bacolod is the known hotbed of the sport in the country.

Fourteen gold medals will be disputed in boxing at the La Salle Coliseum, 10 gold medals in weightlifting at the Bacolod Convention Center, two in indoor volleyball at West Negro College gym and two in beach volleyball at the University of St. La Salle grounds.