Asuncions face tall odds; Joven steps up bid

DOHA — The Philippines resumes its quest for glory in badminton, boxing, rowing, shooting, chess, weightlifting and swimming while hoping to crash into the gold medal round in the men’s team competitions in Day 5 of the Asian Games here today.

Siblings Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion get the chance to showcase their wares as they face the Malaysian pair of Keat Kien Koo and Ling Swee Quay in one of the round-of-32 matches kicking off the badminton competitions at the Aspire Hall 3.

The Asuncions will be taking on a pair of rivals listed three rungs higher than them in the world ranking but the Filipino bets are ready, hoping that their long training and preparations would bear fruit.

"They are in top shape and are ready to face whoever is paired with them," said Nelson Asuncion, father-coach of the country’s top badminton stars, the only Filipinos to have reached the World Championships in 2003.

Over at the Aspire Hall 5, Francis Joven opens his bid against Thai Angkhan Chomphuphuang, trying to join five other compatriots in the quarterfinal round of the boxing competitions.

Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla, silver medalist in the SEA Games in Manila, gets to show his shooting prowess as he competes in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol elims at the Lusail shooting range.

After a sixth place finish in the men’s rapid individual chess, Darwin Laylo competes in the Classical event along with fellow IM Ronald Dableo and compatriot Jedara Docena in the ladies side at the Al Dana Indoor Hall.

Laylo and Dableo won their final round games with the former winding up with 5.5 points for a eighth place and the latter finishing in 15th spot with five points. Docena, however, dropped her final round match and slid to 12th with 4.5 points.

Meanwhile, Renante Briones makes his bid in the 105kg division in weightlifting at the Al-Dana Banquet Hall even as tankers Erica Totten (women‚s-100m free), Kendrick Uy (men‚s-100m free), Denjylie Cordero (200m-breaststroke), Miguel Molina (200m-IM) and Marichi Gandionco (800m free) resume their bid in swimming at the Hamad Aqua Center. — Dante Navarro