By Nick Giongco

CAPAS, Tarlac—Host Philippines pulled the curtains down to the 30th Southeast Asian Games the same spectacular way it opened 12 days ago.

Featuring electrifying performances by Grammy-award winning Black Eyed Peas and Ariel Pineda, the 2019 SEAG was formally declared over by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium on Wednesday night.

Before athletes and officials from the 11 SEAG countries, the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) chairman and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano lauded the athletes who rose to the occasion during the Nov. 30-Dec. 11 sportsfest.

The host took the overall crown with a medal tally of 149-117-121 (gold-silver-bronze) and Cayetano paid homage to the 1,100-strong Philippine team.

“Today we are a better people because of you,” said Cayetano before an audience estimated at 15,000. Philippine Olympic Committee president and Tagaytay congressman Bambol Tolentino likewise praised the athletes for their efforts and sacrifices and the entire workforce for rallying behind the flag.

“There is nothing impossible if we stand as one, work as one and win as one,” said Tolentino, who actually designed the 530 events from 56 sports that was played during the SEAG.

The Philippine Sports Commission, whose chairman Butch Ramirez served as chief of mission, could not help but take a bow.

“All your hard work and achievement produced more than just medals. It lifted the spirit of a nation hungry for inspiration and hope. It awakened the spirit of patriotism,” Ramirez said in a statement.

Last Nov. 30, the Philippines formally opened the SEAG at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan with a unique parade of nations and a program that veered off the traditional.

Tolentino said the Phisgoc’s handling of the SEAG “raised the standard of hosting.” Vietnam, the 2021 host, made a presentation before the mini concert. Hanoi, the capital city, will host the 31st edition.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By WAYLON GALVEZ

The beach handball men’s national team gave the Philippines its 387th medal as the Filipinos earned a bronze in the event in the 30th Southeast Asian Games yesterday at the Subic Bay Beach Handball Courts.

 

 

The national team dropped its final two games, 2-0 against Thailand (19-18, 21-16) Tuesday night and 2-0 against Vietnam (20-18, 23-10) Wednesday morning – shortly before the closing ceremonies of the biennial meet.

The bronze medal was the 121st for the national team to go with 149 gold medals and 117 silvers to claim for the first time in 14 years the SEAG overall championship.

PH beach handball coach Jana Franquelli said that even with the defeats in the final two days, it was still an accomplishment for the team.

“Both games were close, the important thing is the players fought hard, they gave everything they’ve got,” said Franquelli, “We are a young team and I’m proud of how the boys played kasi laban talaga hanggang sa huli.”

“We’re just glad that we were able to prove that we can do well given the opportunity. We hope this will be a turning point for the development of handball,” Franquelli added.

The two wins of the national team were against Indonesia and Singapore.

Formed a year ago, the men’s beach handball team was given proper training by both the Philippine Sports Commission headed by its chairman Butch Ramirez, and the Philippine Handball Federation Inc. headed by its president Steve Hontiveros and secretary-general Dr. Jay Adalem.

Franquelli’s hopes to get the same support for the 2021 Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam, and possibly the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in China.

“We’re very thankful to the PSC with their support, and of course our federation. Kung hindi dahil sa kanila, at sa tulong at supporta ng mga kababayan natin hindi natin makakamit ito,” she said.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

With the success of basketball in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio said his hope is for the national teams to continue their improvement and growth not just in the region but in Asia.

Basketball accounted for four gold medals in the biennial meet, two in the 3×3 event – a first in the SEA Games – and two more in the 5-on-5 event after the men and women’s teams downed their respective Thailand opponents Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tim Cone-mentored Gilas squad claimed for the country its 18th overall gold medal in 20 SEAG editions, while the women’s squad of coach Pat Aquino made history as it clinched its first-ever gold medal.

“Mission accomplished,” said Panlilio. “Four gold medals for the Philippines in basketball capped by another dominant run by our Gilas Pilipinas men’s team.”

“With the country hosting the SEA Games, it gave us an unique opportunity to be able to showcase the best team we could form.”

Panlilio said the SBP could not have done forming the best team without the support of the PBA, headed by Commissioner Willie Marcial and the PBA Board of Governors chaired by Ricky Vargas. He likewise credited the all out support of Smart, as well as San Miguel Corporation that “collaborated seamlessly to build this team.”

Plans for the formation of Gilas teams for the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, 2022 Asian Games in China and 2023 FIBA World Cup here, along with qualifying tournaments, have been calendared.

As for the women’s national team, Panlilio said all the hard work and sacrifice of the players and coaches have been rewarded.

“History has been made. For the first time in history, our Filipina basketball players are queens of the Southeast Asian Games,” said Panlilio.

“The SBP congratulates coach Patrick Aquino and all the members of the team as this is surely the fitting reward to the hard work that they have put in throughout the years. We also thank the countless individuals who have invested in Philippine women’s basketball from the beginning as this success is also built from their sacrifices.”

“The SBP strongly believes that this is just the beginning as there’s a brighter future ahead for our Gilas Pilipinas Women.”

Source: Manila Bulletin

BY JONAS TERRADO

Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno relished their tag team partnership that resulted in a gold medal in the women’s 9-ball doubles of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Amit and Centeno blanked Indonesia’s Fathrah Masum and Nony Andilah 7-0 in Tuesday’s final at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel to share the distinction as the country’s best performing cue artists in the biennial meet.

The team-up is a contrast to their two gold medal encounters earlier in the competition with Centeno prevailing in the 10-ball and Amit exacting a measure of revenge in 9-ball.

But for both, their partnership is like as if they were having their usual practices at Rizal Memorial and most recently at a makeshift facility inside Harrison Plaza.

“We’re really enjoying the moment. Parang nagpapraktis lang,” said Amit.

The win capped off Amit’s return to SEA Games form after the gold eluded her in 2015 and 2017 with losses to Centeno in the 9-ball finals.

Centeno on the other hand had her best SEA Games performance yet in what could be a sign of things to come for the 20-year-old from Zamboanga City.

The young cue artist was glad that she had a veteran-savvy teammate in Amit at her side.

“Galing din po ng partner ko. Puro benta eh pag break nila. Maganda rin break nila pero may mga error,” Centeno said.

The two hope that their link-up will be the first of many.

“Sana meron din world doubles na women kasi for sure, mag-eenjoy kami. Magkukulitan lang kami,” Amit said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Nick Giongco

CLARKFIELD, Pampanga — Chief of mission Butch Ramirez can now heave a sigh of relief now that the 30th Southeast Asian Games has come to an end.

Ramirez, also the chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the funding arm of the national athletes, admits there were obstacles that threatened the staging of the Games.

“We were able to pull it off,” said Ramirez on Wednesday just before heading to the New Clark City Athletics Stadium for the closing ceremonies.

But in the end, the 2019 SEAG turned out to be a December to remember.

For 12 days, the Philippines never let up on offense as it raced to the top of the medal standings with an opening day haul of 22.

There were days early in the Games when the output wasn’t as massive but entering the twilight zone, the Filipino athletes once again went on a gold medal-winning binge, collaring 23 three days before the
closing.

In the end the Philippines had a grant total of 383 medals, including 149 gold, 117 silver and 119 bronze, the biggest production by the country since its 113 when it lasted hosted the biennial sportsfest in 2005.

There were major contributors to the victory.

Traditional martial arts arnis accounted for 14 gold medals, athletics hit 11, dancesport scooped ten, taekwondo grabbed eight, wushu and boxing had seven apiece and obstacle racing and skateboarding had six
each.

Athletics made quite a lot of heads turn when it surpassed its initial target of about 5-6 gold medals.

It could have been a 14 had not been for the misfortune that struck Eric Cray (DQd for false start in the 100 heats), Carter Lilly’s shoving incident in the runup to the finish line in the 800 and Kristina Knott’s razor-thin defeat in the women’s 100.

Track and field head Philip Juico said the long-standing record of gold medals won in the SEAG is 13 in Singapore during the time of Lydia de Vega and Elma Muros but a check online showed that it was
only 11.

“That’s what I have been told by people who were there in Singapore like Renato Unso so I took it as gospel truth,” said Juico, adding that he will ask his people at the Patafa to check once and for all.

Now that the party’s over, Ramirez is looking at the PSC’s main job next year: 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Scheduled July 24 to Aug. 9, the Philippines is hoping to cash in on the SEAG success to send as many qualifiers as possible and Ramirez swears the PSC will be right behind any Filipino athlete aspiring to make the Olympic grade.

“Our focus is on athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics and those with solid chances of making it,” said Ramirez.

So far, only world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena have qualified.

But many are aching to join them and the PSC will buckle down to work the first day of 2020 to guarantee that the country’s chances of qualifying get a big boost.

Meanwhile, Malacanang is rolling out the red carpet for the winning athletes and their coaches on Dec. 18 with President Rodrigo Duterte personally awarding the cash incentives.

Based on the law, a SEAG gold is worth P300,000, a silver P150,000 and a bronze, P600. The Philippine Olympic Committee is pledging another P300,000 only for gold while the President also promised that an additional P250,000 be given to the gold medalist, P150,000 for the silver and P100,000 for bronze.

Yulo should be the winningest as he bagged two gold and five silver medals.

Ramirez, beaming with pride, swears everyone “will have a memorable (2019) Holiday season.”

Indeed, a December to remember.

Source: Manila Bulletin

BY JONAS TERRADO

 

 

The national women’s basketball team is now aiming for higher things after winning its first-ever gold in the Southeast Asian Games.

Coach Pat Aquino said there’s no reason for them to be satisfied after the team known as Gilas Pilipinas Women ruled the 30th edition of the biennial meet with a 91-71 rout of Thailand at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We achieved the goals that we were supposed to do. Sana for me, we keep it growing. Let’s not just let this pass by,” said Aquino.

The Pinay cagers ended decades of frustration in the SEA Games by sweeping all three assignments with victories over Indonesia, 2015 and 2017 winner Malaysia and Thailand.

The first two games were not easy, with Gilas having to recover from squandering leads to beat the Indonesians 63-56 and Malaysians 81-75.

Against the Thais, the Pinays banked on main players Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino, who played the game of their lives.

Animam dominated the paint with 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting while Bernardino’s activity on both ends netter her 10 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

The win proved to be doubly sweet for Animam, who several weeks ago was forced to stay in New Zealand for several days after suffering an orbital fracture during the FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The injury also forced Animam to miss National University’s successful run to its sixth straight UAAP women’s crown.

“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kahit anong mangyari kailangan mag-gold kami kasi sobrang gustong-gusto ko na mag-celebrate kasi wala akong pwedeng pang-hawakan kasi wala naman ako nung NU e,” said Animam.

Janine Pontejos and Khate Castillo were also impressive as they combined for six triples while Chack Cabinbin, Ria Nabalan and Danica Jose did their share by playing quality minutes in the clincher.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

Translation problems in the doping case of Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang have delayed the expected verdict to January, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Tuesday.

CAS said an “agreed-upon written transcript” from the hearing, including Sun’s testimony from Chinese into English, is being prepared to help the judging panel who heard the appeal in open court last month.

“In view of these circumstances, the (verdict) is not expected to be issued before mid-January,” the court said.

Sun is facing a ban from next year’s Tokyo Olympics if the three-judge panel decides he broke anti-doping rules by refusing to cooperate with officials who visited his home in China in September 2018. He disputed their credentials to take his blood and urine samples.

The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed against a ruling by swimming governing body FINA to simply warn Sun over the confrontational incident.

Lawyers and the three judges often had difficulty following proceedings, including cross-examination of Sun early in the 10-hour hearing.

CAS rules allow parties to provide their own translators, but those brought by the three-time Olympic gold medalist’s team were replaced during the lunch break by a WADA staff member.

WADA asked the court to ban Sun for between two and eight years. It would be a second violation for Sun, who served a three-month ban imposed by Chinese authorities in 2014 after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Qatar fully opened its new metro network on Tuesday in a major infrastructure milestone ahead of the football World Cup Doha will host in 2022.

The railway was opened just in time for the Club World Cup football tournament that kicks off Wednesday, with organisers hoping the metro will ease the burden on the wealthy Gulf emirate’s choked roads.

The three lines link several stadia, residential areas, the airport and tourist zones.

“We were waiting for this,” said airport handling agent Anshu, as she tested the new link between Doha’s Hamad airport and the city.

“Almost everybody is taking public transport,” she said of her colleagues at the airport, which had previously only been served by expensive taxis and infrequent buses.

A single journey in the metro’s standard class, equipped with WiFi and USB charging points, costs two riyals ($0.55), while gold class, boasting plush armchairs and hardwood floors, costs 10 riyals ($2.75).

“For now, its mostly airport staff who are interested. But if people know about it, they will come,” said metro assistant Regine.

Construction on the project began in 2013 and a 13 station preview service was launched in May this year.

The network was further tested during the Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament, which concluded on Sunday, with thousands of spectators enjoying free travel to and from stadia for that event.

More than 50 kilometres (30 miles) of tunnels were dug for the first phase of the ambitious project, which has seen 36 stations open to the public.

With high vaulted roofs inspired by traditional Bedouin tents, the stations “reflect the heritage of the country”, according to Qatar Rail.

The second phase will see the opening of a new line, as well as the extension of the initial three routes, expanding the network to almost 100 stations by 2026.

In 2022, more than 1.5 million visitors are expected to travel to Qatar, which says its trains have a capacity of one million passengers.

“What is happening now in Qatar is like a movie in fast forward. It’s probably a world record between the decision to create a metro system to its opening,” chief executive of France’s SNCF rail operator, Guillaume Pepy, told AFP.

SNCF runs the service through its majority-owned Keolis unit in a joint venture with a Qatari firm and RATP Dev.

Japan’s Kinki Sharyo built the initial 75 three-car trains, split into standard, gold, and family class, and will supply 35 more.

The cost of the project has not been made public.

Qatar has previously said it spends $500 million a week on projects related to the World Cup.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Vietnam cruised their way to the Southeast Asian Games men’s football title on Tuesday night with a routine 3-0 win in the final over Indonesia in Manila.

The Golden Dragons, who went into the gold medal match as firm favorites, were rarely tested at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Star man Doan Van Hau, who plays in the Dutch top league, opened the scoring after 39 minutes, latching on to a Do Hung Dung free kick from the edge of the box for a close-range header.

Vietnam made it 2-0 in the 59th minute after a scuffed Indonesia clearance fell to Do Hung Dung, who buried his shot from the edge of the box.

Doan Van Hau scored his second and his team’s third when Indonesia goalkeeper Winata Nadeo flapped at a wide free kick from Nguyen Hoang Duc straight into the path of the SC Heerenveen defender who slotted home from near the left hand post on 70 minutes.

The 19-year-old celebrated by unfurling a Vietnam scarf in front of fans.

Shortly after Vietnam’s South Korean coach Park Hang-seo was shown a red card for his reaction to a refereeing decision, although it was unclear what he said.

However, after the final whistle was blown, Park returned to the pitch to celebrate with his players, who threw him into the air and sprayed him with water.

Vietnam, who played the final in white, are currently ranked 94th in the FIFA world rankings, while Indonesia, who played in red, are 173rd.

 

Source: Manila Bulletin

By the Associated Press

When it comes to tickets, next year’s Tokyo Paralympics will be just like the Olympics: There’s more demand than there are tickets.

“The interest is there and we are absolutely delighted,” International Paralympic President Andrew Parsons told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. “It shows clearly that the appetite for the Paralympic Games is there — in Tokyo and in Japan.”

Parsons said there were 3.1 million tickets requested earlier this year in the first lottery phase. This exceeds the 2.3 million available. About 600,000 tickets were awarded in the first lottery, and another lottery is set for early next year.

Tokyo organizers allowed Parsons to release the demand figure on Tuesday. Organizers have yet to specify the level of demand for Olympic tickets, which is at least 10 times over supply and maybe more.

The scarcity has angered some fans and the general public, and is a sensitive topic for organizers who also face pressure for tickets from sponsors, international federations, national Olympic committees, and authorized ticket re-sellers.

“The Paralympic athletes will be competing in packed stadiums, which is absolutely fantastic for the message we want to send to the world,” Parsons said.

London is the benchmark for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold. Tokyo would far surpass that if there were greater stadium capacity. Parsons said there were are no plans for this.

Tokyo organizers on Thursday are widely expected to announce that the Paralympic marathons will stay in Tokyo. Olympic marathons were moved out of Tokyo to the cooler northern city of Sapporo. The Paralympics will probably avoid the heat, opening 2 1/2 weeks after the Olympics close.

All Paralympic marathons are set for the closing day — Sept. 6, 2020 — which will mark the end of Tokyo’s seven years of preparations.

The Tokyo Olympics run July 24-Aug. 9, followed by the Paralympics opening on Aug. 25.

“The marathon is a moment when we’d like to see a big celebration for people who didn’t get a ticket but can come and be part of the last event of this journey,” Parsons said.

The marathons are a non-ticket event and should draw large crowds to the streets.

The Paralympics issued a blanket ban on Russian athletes in the 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, but allowed selected Russians to compete in the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Parsons said he still believes the blanket ban was the “right decision.”

On Monday, the World Anti-Doping Agency slapped Russian with a four-year ban that includes next year’s Olympics and Paralympics. Parsons declined to comment, saying he’d wait until after an expected appeal by Russia to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“Then we will be able to react according too that decision,” Parsons said.

Source: Manila Bulletin