Focus shifts to Asian Games in Sept. for Team Philippines

Wearing the national colors ever so proudly at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the athletes, coaches, and officials of Team Philippines made a lasting mark that could serve as a good indication for the next big thing in the calendar: the Hangzhou Asian Games in September this year.

Top Filipino medalists, who earned the bulk of the country’s haul of 58 gold, 85 silver, and 117 bronze medals from the recent sports fest in Cambodia, are expected to banner the contingent in the continental event set in a bustling city east of China that will cater 482 events in 40 sports.

Among the top contenders are Carlos Yulo, who won two gold and two silver medals in gymnastics, and EJ Obiena, the pole vault star who eclipsed his own SEA Games record at the meet. Hidilyn Diaz, the Olympic champion, could also crowd the delegation in her attempt to gain much training and exposure for her Paris Games mission.

The boxing team, led by Tokyo silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, will surely spearhead the Asiad-bound squad after topping their respective weight divisions in Phnom Penh along with Ian Clark Bautista and Paul Bascon.

Also worth watching are weightlifters Vanessa Sarno and Elreen Ando, wushu artist Agatha Wong, swimmer Xiandi Chua, gymnasts Miguel Besana and John Ivan Cruz, athletics bets Eric Cray and Janry Ubas, jiu-jitsu’s Kaila Kaila Napolis and Annie Ramirez, karate’s Jamie Lim, and taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa. Other sports that could hit the target include wrestling and esports.

With the momentum running high, these athletes are all ripe for success if given the right amount of preparation for the quadrennial meet that was postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last edition of the Asian Games in Indonesia, Diaz, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, and the women’s golf team of Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go struck golds to lead the country’s performance of four gold, two silver, and 15 bronze medals.

The Philippine Olympic Committee, through its president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, has identified the gold and silver medalists from the recent SEA Games who will be considered as priority athletes whose training expenses will be shouldered by the Philippine Sports Commission, led by chairman Richard Bachmann.

As the sports officials chart the country’s quest in international competitions, it is important to note that the Asian Games will fall under the Olympic qualifying window, which starts on June 1. International tournaments, such as the Asiad in China, will churn out precious spots and ranking points for athletes with strong standings in their respective events.

This speaks high to those who aspire to become the next Diaz, the weightlifting champion, who took four Olympic stints and countless trials to finally achieve the highest honor in sports back in 2021.

For now, the road will only get tougher for the Filipino athletes. As the SEA Games came to an emphatic end less than a week ago, Team Philippines turns its focus on a rigid test against the continent’s best nations. Indeed, one step at a time for our sports warriors.

Credit belongs to : www.mb.com.ph