Manila is ahead of Doha by at least five hours, meaning Filipino athletes who will compete in the oil-rich emirate at 6 p.m. will actually be competing at around midnight Manila time.
Filipino athletes normally train in the morning and afternoon, and are supposed to be in bed by 9 or 10 in the evening. Competing at around midnight may not be to their advantage.
But organizers of the quadrennial event in Doha, especially those in contact sports, have been generous enough to schedule the events earlier in the day, earlier than usual.
In the case of boxing, competitions are normally held in the evening as in the past stagings of the Asian Games are concerned. But in Doha, bouts are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (7 p.m. in Manila).
The Filipino boxers arrived in Doha yesterday and gained enough time to adjust to the time difference. Action is scheduled Dec. 2 to 13 with opening bouts at 2 p.m.
Almost the same schedule applies to judo and taekwondo with matches, including those in the finals, set at 2 p.m or around 7 or 8 p.m. Manila time.
While elimination matches in wrestling are set at 9 a.m., finals are set at 6 p.m.
In wushu, where Filipino athletes are expected to deliver, action begins at 10 in the morning leading to medal events at around 2:30 in the afternoon. — Abac Cordero