Generalo twins open kayak bid

WEST JAVA – Twin brothers Alex and Alvin Generalo make their Southeast Asian Games debut in the kayak competitions opening at the Cipule Lake here Thursday.

The 21-year-old Palanas, Masbate natives, who joined the national kayak pool five years ago, are fresh from competing in the Asian Kayak Championships in Tehran, Iran last month and will see action in two of five preliminary events.

A veteran of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games where he placed seventh overall in the men’s 200 individual singles, Alex will vie in the men’s 200 meters kicking off at 9 a.m. (10 a.m. Manila time) here.

He will then team up with Alvin in the men’s 400-meter doubles before taking part in the 1,000-meter singles heats.

“While we are hopeful that the Generalo twins will do well, this is their first SEA Games so they may be a bit nervous,” Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation secretary general Jonne Go, who is also a member of the Jakarta-based national team secretariat, said.

“Susubukan namin ang aming makakaya,” Alex said. “Excited kami sa aming kaunaunahang naming SEA Games.”

After being dropped from the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games, the kayak event marks its return to the regional sports showcase with a total of 15 gold medals up for grabs, although Go said that the Filipino paddlers will only be competing for eight of them.

Marvin Amposta was the last local kayaker to win in the SEAG, copping a bronze in the men’s 500 meters when the country hosted the meet in 2005.