Golden champs from KL return to defend glitter

Eighteen of the 24 Filipino gold medalists from the last Southeast Asian Games will be returning to defend their titles in the 30th edition of the biennial meet.

Gilas Pilipinas spearheads the cast as it seeks to strengthen its dynastic rule in men’s basketball where the country has been dominant since the 1991 Manila edition.

The lineup is a mix of returning and new players, but coach Tim Cone, Philippine basketball’s most heralded mentor, has whipped up a championship team in shape with minimum time.

Among those returning for the Nationals are Kiefer Ravena, Troy Rosario and Christian Standhardinger. They join forces with fellow pro players like Japeth Aguilar, Marcio Lassiter, June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross, to name a few.

Track stars Eric Cray, Mary Joy Tabal and Aries Toledo are also returning to banner the athletics team after delivering gold medals in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, women’s marathon and men’s decathlon in the 2017 edition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Boxing, also a source of gold mine for the PH team, will have reigning champions Eumir Felix Marcial (men’s 75kgs) and John Marvin (men’s 81kgs), as well as billiards in Carlo Biado (men’s 9-ball singles) and Chezka Centeno (women’s 9-ball singles).

Samuel Morrison will also defend his title in the men’s kyorugi -74kgs in taekwondo along with the men’s poomsae team of Rodolfo Reyes Jr.,

Dustin Jacob Mella and Raphael Enrico Mella.

Other returning gold medalists are Kim Mangrobang (women’s triathlon), gymnast Reyland Capellan, Agatha Wong of wushu, the men’s ice hockey team, the men’s fours event in lawn bowls, judokas Kiyomi Watanabe and Mariya Takahashi, and pencak silat’s Dines Dumaan.

As host country, the PH delegation hopes to surpass its 24 gold, 33 silver and 64 bronze medal haul in 2017 with the presence of 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualifiers EJ Obiena (pole vault) and gymnast Carlos Yulo, Olympian Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting, reigning Asian Games champion Margie Didal of skateboarding and world champion boxer Nesthy Petecio, among others.

This edition has 530 events in 56 sports compared to last edition’s 404 events in 38 sports.

Dennis Chung of the Philippines, center, is mobbed by frenzied teammates after scoring a goal against Cambodia during the men’s football match in the 30th Southeast Asian Games Monday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The match ended tied 1-1. (Mark Balmores)