Silver only thing that glitters now

INCHEON, South Korea – Gold continued to be a rare commodity for a beleaguered Team Philippines whose vaunted bet missed a golden opportunity at the close of wushu competitions.

But Philippine Sports Commission chairman and chef de mission Richie Garcia remained buoyant amid expectations of triumphs in boxing, basketball and golf after five days of the 16-day 17th Asian Games.

World championship bronze medalist Jean Claude Saclag of the Cordilleras settled for the silver in the sanda (sparring) –60 kg class, bowing to China’s Hongxing Kong, 2-0.

The sport continued to be dominated by China, where the sport originated and became the umbrella organization of the Chinese sports of shoo-in and kungfu and traditional taolu (form) and shanshou or sanda (sparring).

China’s Chen Zhouli a day earlier denied the Philippines the first gold with a win over Daniel Parantac in the taijiquan (form).

Another heartbreak loss came from Francisco Solis who played with a hairline rib fracture to win the quarterfinal but had to pull out and settle for the bronze in the -56 kg class on doctor’s advice. His opponent in the semifinal is a dangerous Chinese wushu master Zhao Fuxiang, who went on to win the gold.

After eight hours on the field, China remained up front with 54-30-26 gold-silver-bronze medals, with Korea at second with 26-23-23 and Japan third with 19-27-22. 

Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines, with its 0-2-0 output was trailing Myanmar (2-0-0), Vietnam (1-4-11), Singapore (1-2-5), Thailand (1-0-6) and Indonesia (0-3-2).

With the win of Iran over India in the three-team Group C in basketball, the Philippines and Iran advanced to the quarterfinals although they still have to play today to determine their grouping in the next round.

Boxers Mario Fernandez and Charly Suarez advanced to the round of 16, raising hopes of a medal finish for the six-member boxing team.

The Filipina golfers, led by US Girls Junior champion and 2013 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Princess Superal, go for both the individual and team medals at the start of the golf competitions today.

In tennis, Patrick John Tierro breezed past Marco Ho Tin Leung of Macau, 6-2, 6-1, and booked a slot in the round of 16 of the tennis singles competitions at the Yeorumul Tennis Courts in downtown Incheon.

The Filipino, ranked 1107th in the ATP, faces No. 183 Chung Hyeon of Korea, who drew a bye in the round of 32.

Elsewhere, Marie Alexis Sy was 20th and Anne Marie Diane Kiac was 29th in a field of 38 bowlers in Squad A of the women’s singles.

Benjamin Tolentino placed seventh and out of the lightweight men’s single sculls Final B of rowing.

The lightweight men’s double sculls tandem of Edgar Ilas and Nestor Cordova placed sixth.

The swimmers continued to sink as Jessie King Lacuna (men’s 100m butterfly), Joshua Hall (men’s 100m breaststroke) and Jasmine Alkhadi (women’s 200m freestyle) each placed fourth in their respective heats and were out of their events.

Sailors Geylord Coveta and John Harold Madrigal also continue with their races at the Wangsan Sailing Marina.

Lacuna goes back for Heat 4 of the men’s 100m freestyle in swimming.

Also seeing action are the bowlers, triathletes and rowers.