Philippines starts SEA Games title defense

MANILA, Philippines — Three years after their golden performance at home, Filipino athletes return to action today, competing in the early hostilities ahead of the formal opening of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The football and beach handball teams and the kickboxers will be the first to go into battle, signaling the start of the Philippines’ title defense in the regional conclave.

But even before action unfolds, the Filipinos will have to contend with the COVID-19 threat as three athletes tested positive yesterday, according to Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino.

“Godspeed and we’re hoping all could play,” the congressman from Tagaytay told The STAR, who did not identify the athletes involved.

“I’m asking those who are still here to stay safe because we have three who turned up positive but the two were already cleared. We’re just waiting for one more.”

Skippered by Stephan Schrock, the Under-23 Azkals are hoping to come through with a historic performance as they tackle Timor Leste at the Viet Tri Stadium, located in the Northweast Region of Vietnam.

In beach handball, the Filipinos set in motion their medal campaign as they square off with the Thais at 5 p.m. (Philippine time) today, the Vietnamese at 6 p.m. tomorrow and the Singaporeans at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Bac Ninh Sports University Gym, which lies east of the capital.

They will play another round from Monday to Wednesday to determine the medal winners.

The squad is composed of Daryoush Zandi, Dhane Miguelle Varela, Josef Maximillan Valdez, Rey Joshua Tabuzo, John Michael Pasco, Jamael Pangandaman, Manuel Lasangue Jr., Andrew Michael Harris, Mark Vincent Dubouzet and Van Jacob Baccay.

The team is out to suprass, if not match, its bronze-medal finish in the 2019 edition of the biennial games in Subic.

The Azkals, for their part, aim to improve on their performance in 2019 when they they came one step short of the semis following a 1-1 draw with the Cambodians as the two wound up tied with seven points apiece on two wins, a draw and a loss.

But Cambodia edged the Philippines via goal difference, 6-5, to claim the semis berth.

“We’ll go for the win,” said Philippine coach Norman Fegidero, looking to take it “one game at a time” with defending champion Vietnam, 2019 bronze medalist Myanmar and Manila edition runner-up Indonesia up ahead.

“I believe in my players. They have the ability to upset the strong teams in our group,” he added.

“The team is well prepared,” said Schrock.

The kickboxers, meanwhile, are out to eclipse their three-gold, two-silver and one-bronze haul in Pasay.

Former mixed martial arts champion Honorio Banario and SEA Games gold medalists Jean Claude Saclag and Gina Iniong Ara banner the team that also includes Jomar Balangui, Renalyn Dacquiel, Carlos Alvarez, Kurt Lubrica, Daryl Chulipaz, Emmanuel Cantores, Claudine Veloso, Gretel de Paz and Zephania Ngaya.

Ariana Drake, the country’s lone entry in diving, vies in the women’s 1-meter springboard at the My Dinh Aquatics Center in Hanoi Sunday, the rowers the next day at the Thuy Nguyen Boat Racing Center, and the pencak silat and kurash squads Tuesday.