Sailing team first to leave for Games

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine sailing team will be the first among Filipino athletes to head to China for the 16th Asian Games, leaving on Nov. 4 to attend to a P1.5 million boat and other equipment it purchased from Australia.

Skipper Emerson Villena and Lester Troy Tayong, the country’s bets in the international 470 class, along with coach Medy Fidel and boat coach Bernard Floren, will have to be in Guangdong Province in time for the delivery of their boat.

“They’ve purchased a boat from Australia which is arriving at the fourth and they must be there to attend to it,” said Asian Games working committee member Moying Martelino, stressing that the sailing association will shoulder all the expenses for the boat as well as their early stay in China.

The rest of the 283-member strong RP delegation will only start arriving in Guangzhou from Nov. 10 onwards as the flag-raising ceremony at the Athletes Village is set Nov. 11 yet and the actual action slated from Nov. 12-27.

Sailing’s competition is penciled from Nov. 14-20 at the Guangdong Ocean Sports Training Center (GOSTC) in Shanwei, China. Aside from Villena and Tayong, the Philippines will also be represented by Reneric Moreno in the board sailing/windsurfing event. Moreno will fly to China on Nov. 12.

“Our target is for Emerson and Lester to win a silver medal, considering that’s what they won in the last Asian championships, or at least a bronze,” Fidel said.

Standing in Villena and Tayong’s way in the podium are Japan, Singapore, China and Chinese Taipei.

“The 470 class is not only about speed but also mental toughness, and this is where we have the edge,” she said.