ARMED AND READY
Pinoy athletes brace for full-blown Hanoi action
From Olympic champion to world-renowned athletes, the Filipino contingent that is burning with eagerness begins the long and challenging quest for glory as the 31st Southeast Asian Kames kicks off on key sports hubs today in Vietnam. Originally scheduled late November 2021 but was moved to a later date due to the pandemic, more than 5,000 athletes in 526 events gather in several locations to fire off their respective campaigns, all hoping to get a piece of podium finish with the men and women of the Philippine team aiming to tackle the daunting task of defending the overall championship from a massive haul in 2019. With the presence of world-class athletes that include the country’s first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, world champions Carlos Yulo and Nesthy Petecio, US Open Pool champion Carlo Biado, twotime Grand Slam Junior Doubles winner Alex Eala, and former world titlists Efren “Bata” Reyes and Rubilen Amit, among others, the national contingent is surely ready for the big hurdle ahead.
Some events have already started last May 6, but majority of the sports will officially open Friday including badminton, 3x3 basketball, fencing, golf, artistic gymnastics, petanque, sepak takraw, table tennis, tennis, indoor volleyball, wushu, bodybuilding and e-sports.
Eyes will be on Yulo as he aims to eclipse his two-gold, five-silver medal finish the last time when the qualifying rounds of the men’s artistic gymnastics unfolds today at the Quang Ngua Sports Palace.
Competing with him are Jan Gwynn Timbang and Juancho Miguel Besana Eserio.
Yulo is also competing in the men’s team event along with Timbang, Eserio, John Ivan Cruz, Justine Ace De Leon and John Matthew Vergara.
Six members of the kickboxing team also advanced to Friday’s goldmedal round that include Renz Dacquel, Gretel De Paz, Zephania Ngaya, Claudine Veloso, Gina Iniong-Araos and Jean Claude Saclag.
So far, the kickboxing crew assured itself of two bronze medals after Honorio Banario and Emmanuel Cantores lost their semifinal matches Wednesday night, May 11 in the men’s low kick -71kg and -60kg divisions.
Rowers also resume their goldmedal hunt when they compete in four final events, while the men’s 3x3 basketball team of Brandon Rosser, Jorey Napoles, Reymar Caduyac and Marvin Hayes and the women’s crew of Afril Bernardino, Clare Castro, Janine Pontejos and Angel Surada also open t h e i r campaign at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium.
The men’s team clashes with Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia while the women’s squad collides with Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The men’s football team also tangles with Indonesia in football’s group stage at the Viet TriPhu Tho Stadium while the celebrated women’s volleyball team opens its bid against Malaysia. Supported by the Philippine Sports Commision, total of 641 athletes are competing in 38 of 40 events in the two-week affair.