MANILA, Philippines — It took a super storm to cool the passion of a blistering start.
Team Philippines opened its campaign for the overall crown the other day, firing on all cylinders in the 30th SEAG the country is currently staging, and gaining a head start among 11 nations in the two-week Games.
Day One unfolded with the Filipinos claiming 22 golds staked as they shouldered their way to the top with a 17-gold edge over the second-running Vietnam (five golds).
Although Carlos Yulo turned and twirled, and showed the stuff that made him world champ recently, the dancers actually seized the initiative for the Filipinos by winning 10 golds.
The next day, Team Phl, led by Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, again overwhelmed the opposition in various fronts for 16 more gold medals.
They broke through, rode the momentum and seized the day.
Carpe diem.
But when the Filipinos loaded up on Day Three to build more formidable cushion against the Thais, the Indonesians and the Malaysians, Super Storm Tisoy came roaring in and scuttling a number of events, and slowed down the Nationals.
Still, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino was elated with the local contingent’s tremendous start.“We can be No. 1 again,’’ he said.
The Filipinos won only 24 gold, 33 silver and 64 bronze medals in Kuala Lumpur in 2017, and it would need, by Tolentino’s estimate, 120 to 130 gold medals in this conclave to figure prominently in the overall race.
They were bristling through the first two days until heavy rains and strong winds came and washed away some events.
The SEAG is a low-tiered regional meet, a distant relation to the Olympics and the Asian Games.
But it has consistently improved on the level of competition and the quality of the field and has, in fact, earned some measure of success in the hell-for-leather fight for the Olympic gold.
And then there’s that feel-good reaction, a deep sense of “oneness” with the fans and a lasting thought by the Pinoy athletes, who had sacrificed a lot but confident they’ve done their part for flag and country.