Tolentino leads rowing team bid for SEAG golds

MANILA, Philippines - Olympian rower Benjie Tolentino will return to Indonesia, the site of his Southeast Asian Games debut back in 1997, to lead a Philippine crew in the hunt for two gold medals in this week’s SEAG.

“I’ve made my complete rounds of the SEA Games since my first SEA Games was also in Jakarta in 1997,” said Tolentino, who as a rookie then copped a bronze medal in men’s 2,000m quadruple sculls with three others.

As he makes his second trip to Indonesia, Tolentino will try to flash the form that won him two gold medals (men’s lightweight single sculls and men’s double sculls with Jose Rodiguez) the last time rowing was held in 2007 in Thailand.

“We’ll try our best to defend the doubles crown,” said the veteran rower, who will team up anew with Rodriguez in the men’s double sculls.

Joining Tolentino and Rodriguez in paddling for glory are Alvin Amposta, Nestor Cordova, Nicanor Jasmin, Edgardo Ilas, Roque Abala and Darwin Alicum in the men’s side and Johna Lyn Pedrita and Eda Maerina on the women’s.

The Phl will vie in six of the 11 events on tap: men’s single sculls, men’s lightweight double sculls, men’s double sculls, men’s coxless pair, lightweight women’s double sculls and Coxed Eights.

“Our rivals have more (international) experience; they have foreign coaches who stay with them through the year. But despite this, our rowers performance is competitive enough. I think we can at least win two gold medals and there are potential to win other medals,” said Amateur Rowing Association of the Philippines president Benjie Ramos.

He tags Amposta and Ilas (lightweight men’s double sculls) and Tolentino and Rodriguez (men’s double sculls) as having “strong chances for gold,” while Cordova “have potential” in single sculls.

Amposta and Tolentino came off a silver medal feat (men’s double sculls) from the Asian Cup last June in Singapore, where Maerina also won a silver (juniors women’s single sculls) and Amposta and Ilas took men’s lightweight double sculls bronze.

The Phl rowers harvested two golds and the same number of silver and bronze medals in the 2007 edition, finishing second overall behind host Thailand’s 6-2-2.