More gold medals for PHL as ‘Tisoy’ forces SEAG to adjust
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
AMID THE STRONG typhoon that battered parts of Luzon island, gold medals continued to flow for the Philippines on Day Three of the competition in the 30th Southeast Games on Tuesday.
Wushu, arnis and gymnastics gave Team Philippines, which started the day with 38 gold medals, more top hardware just as typhoon “Tisoy” (international name: Kammuri) was making its presence felt in Southern and Central Luzon and the National Capital Region which forced Games organizers to make adjustments to the schedules of events.
Agatha Wong, 21, who won a gold medal for the country on Day One on Sunday, added another by winning the taolu taijijian event in wushu competitions held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Ms. Wong scored 9.65 in winning the event ahead of Thi Minh Huyen Tran (9.63) of Vietnam, who claimed silver, Basma Lachkar (9.62) of Brunei, who took bronze.
The College of Saint Benilde product won silver in the same event two years ago in the Kuala Lumpur Games.
It was her second gold medal in the ongoing Games after successfully defending her taolu taijiquan title on Dec. 1.
Following the pace set by Ms. Wong, sanda fighters Divine Wally, Jessie Aligaga, Arnel Mandal, Francisco Solis and Clemente Tabugara, Jr. also delivered gold medals.
Ms. Wally, who won bronze in last year’s Asian Games, emerged on top in the women’s 48-kg category.
Messrs. Aligaga and Mandal topped the men’s 48-kg and 52-kg divisions, respectively.
Winners in the men’s 56-kg and 65-kg divisions, meanwhile, were Mr. Solis and Tabugara.
Arnis, which proved to be a deep source of gold medals in this edition of the SEA Games, added gold medals 13 and 14 after Crisamuel Delfin and Mary Allin Aldeguer ruled their respective divisions at the Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga.
Mr. Delfin topped the men’s anyo non-traditional arnis while Ms. Aldeguer did the same in the distaff side.
Mr. Delfin beat Vietnam’s Van Huynh Ngo for gold with Cambodia’s Sila Chhem and Myanmar’s Yar Zar Tun winning bronze.
Ms. Aldeguer topped Vietnam’s Thi Hoai Trieu in the gold medal game while Naing L Sheilar of Myanmar and Soumala Eng wound up with the bronze medal.
Olympics-bound gymnast Caloy Yulo, meanwhile, added another gold in the men’s floor exercise, in addition to his gold in the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around on Day One.
Nineteen-year-old Yulo chalked up a score of 14.700, from a difficulty score of 6.200 and execution score of 8.500.
In billiards, Filipino cue artists Carlo Biado and Johann Chua opened their bid in the men’s 9-ball doubles competition on a bright note on Tuesday, scoring a 9-2 victory over Malaysians Kok Jken Yung and Muhammad Almie at the Manila Hotel Tent.
A few hours later, Jeffrey Ignacio and Warren Kiamco blasted Malaysia’s Darryl Chia Soo Yew and Ibrahim Bin Amir 9-3 to join Messrs. Biado and Chua in the win column.
SOME SEA GAMES EVENTS POSTPONED
Meanwhile, due to the inclement weather brought about by typhoon Tisoy, some events were postponed.
As of 12 noon on Monday, postponed, as confirmed by the technical delegate and competition managers were the benchrest event in shooting (Metro Manila), skateboarding, underwater hockey and polo (Southern Luzon), petanque (Clark), and sepak takraw, canoe/kayak/traditional boat race, muay and surfing (Subic).
The organizers said updated schedules of postponed events will be released and shared to all concerned soon.
In a statement, the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) said it was closely monitoring the movement of Tisoy and expressed readiness to handle the situation by taking the necessary precautionary measures to secure the safety of all guests and athletes.
