RP on threshold of SEAG overall crown

The Philippines moved ever closer to the overall crown and would need only to hang on to the next 48 hours to be hailed the new regional sporting power in 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

Behind another display of its great will to win, the Filipino athletes further pulled away from its closest pursuers and will only have to watch their backs during the last two days of the competition.

The Philippines won 16 golds for the day.

With an amazing seven-day haul of 91 gold, 60 silver and 70 bronze medals, the Philippines is almost unreachable heading into today’s big battle where a record 96 gold medals will be on the line.

The Philippines is more than 30 gold medals ahead of Vietnam and Thailand, engaged in a neck-to-neck battle for second. Only a major disaster can make the Philippines yield the overall lead, and the title.

Thailand, as of 11 last night, surged past Vietnam with a 58-63-92 (gold-silver-bronze) count. Vietnam slid to third with 52-51-69. Both countries need a miracle starting today if they are to rob the Philippines of a historic win.

Timor Leste won its first medal in its first SEA Games participation — a bronze in the women’s arnis (individual anyo) courtesy of Francisca Varela. She will be remembered as the country’s first medalist in the SEA Games.

The number of medals on the final day of the competition, remains unclear. At the main press center of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee, there’s one saying it should be six and another saying it’s 10.

Whatever, the Philippines will only have maintain its balance in today’s action in 26 different sports.

The Philippines is counting on men’s and women’s marathon, baseball, billiards, bodybuilding, bowling, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, Muay Thai, shooting, softball, tennis, traditional boat race, golf, lawn bowls, petanque, archery, canoeing, judo, pencak silat, beach volleyball and weightlifting.

If only these sports could deliver one gold each, then the Philippines could start planning the big party.

"There are so many sports we can look forward to," said Team Philippines training director Mike Keon.

The former director of Project Gintong Alay said the martial arts sport of pencak silat, which offers the biggest number of golds today at 13, is one where the Filipinos can spring a surprise.

"What our rivals don’t understand is that we trained in Indonesia for pencak silat and we hired Indonesian coaches. Muay, although a Thai sport, we’ll also win some. We’re also strong in lawn bowls," he said.

After nailing its 74th gold at the close of competition Friday, the Philippines struck for 15 yesterday, with the boxers throwing their biggest punches in faraway Bacolod.

The Filipino boxers, a perennial source of pride in the international arena, won the first seven finals disputed. A total of 14 were scheduled for the day with four female and eight male pug in the finals.

Harry Tañamor, an Olympian, and Mitchell Martinez, an Asian champion, starred in those early victories.

Tañamor whipped Myanmar’s Kyaw Swan Aung of Myanmar in their light lyweight encounter, 27-7, while Martinez made short work of Rafree Kruake of Thailand, 28-10, in the lightweight division.

The other boxers who made the country proud were pinweight Alice Kate Aparri, an RSC (referee stopped contest) winner over Kyu Kyu Thi of Myanmar; Annie Albania, who toyed with Yu Thi Hai Yen of Vietnam, 20-8 in the flyweight division; bantamweight Jouviliet Chilem, a clear winner over Viet Ta Thi Min Hinghia, 22-3;

Pinweight Juanito Magliquian who wowed Zaw Myo Min of Myanmar, 22-3; Joan Tipon who defeated the fancied Tangtong Klongjan of Thailand, 27-14, for the bantamweight title; and Genebert Basadre who won the lightweight gold against Mista Rifai Lubis, 23-3.

The other golds Saturday were provided by Cecil Mamiit in men’s tennis singles, judo’s Gilbert Ramirez (men’s 75 kgs) and Karen Solomon (women’s 70 kgs), cyclist Alfie Catalan (individual pursuit), German Paz of sailing (Olympic

Classic RS-X), the men’s (Peter Celis, Glenn Llamador and Nathan Dominguez) and women’s (Rochelle Quirol, Aireen Parang and Cvatherine Ballenas) teams in arnis and Amaya Paz in the women’s compound event of archery.