SEA Games: Yulo starts medal quest in gymnastics, basketball 3×3 fires off

By Kristel Satumbaga & Waylon Galvez

World champion Carlos Yulo starts his quest to win seven gold medals as the men’s artistic gymnastics of the 30th Southeast Asian Games fires off today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The 19-year-old Yulo will take part in the qualification for the men’s individual all-around set 2 p.m. where he is expected to showcase his world-class skills in front of fellow Filipinos inside the newly-refurbished coliseum.

Yulo enters the event riding high on his run as the first-ever Filipino and male gymnast from Southeast Asia to win the Artistics Gymnastics World Championships last month in Stuttgart, Germany.

He spent the four years training extensively in Japan under the watchful eyes of coach Munehiro Kugimiya.

Also set to lead the PH squad is Reyland Capellan, who won the floor exercise gold in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition.

Other Filipino bets are Justine Ace De Leon, Jan Gwynn Timbang and John Matthew Vergara.

Vietnam is slated to go full force after collecting five gold medals in the previous edition.

Basketball action starts with the 3×3 competitions at The Arena in San Juan City.

PBA players CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Jason Perkins and Mo Tautuaa see action in the men’s side while the women’s team is composed of Jack Animam, Janine Pontejos, Afril Bernardino and Clare Castro.

The men’s team faces  Indonesia at 11:20 a.m., followed by a 12 noon battle against Myanmar. They clash with Vietnam at 2:40 p.m. and meet Thailand at 3:40 p.m.

The female cagers, meanwhile, battle Myanmar at 9:40 a.m., Malaysia at 11:40 a.m. and Indonesia at 2 p.m.

The top four teams will advance in the crossover semifinals, which will be played during the afternoon session of Day 2, with the gold medal match to held in the evening of the same day.

Source: Manila Bulletin