Team Phl on course for best-ever Asiad finish

JAKARTA –Philippine chef de mission Richard Gomez said the contingent is right on course for one of its best performances ever as it already surpassed its showing in the last Asiad with three golds and 10 bronze medals halfway through the 18th Asian Games here yesterday.

The medal tally goal is already an improvement on its 1-2-12 gold-silver-bronze haul in Incheon in Korea in 2014. With its 3-0-10 gold-silver-bronze medal tally, the Philippines ranks 14th after placing outside the top 20 the previous day.

The one-goal haul in Incheon through BMX rider Daniel Caluag has been matched on Hidilyn Diaz’s golden lift on Day 3 of the competitions.

Gomez still sees gold prospects from at least two boxers and from two Fil-Japanese judokas in Mariya Takahashi and Kiyomi Watanabe.

“We’re still looking forward to the fights of our five remaining boxers. Judo has yet to start. We’re seeded in the skate boarding,” said Gomez,

Kohei Kohagura, Megumi Kurayoshi, Keisei Nakano and Shugen Nakano are four other FilJapanese bets vying for honors here.

The Philippines has had its share of the medal pie in all the first seven days of competition except Thursday. The bronze-medal achievers are the men’s (Dustin Jacob Mella, Jeordan Dominguez, Rodolfo Reyes Jr.) and the women’s poomsae (Juvenile Fae Crisostomo, Rinna Babanto, Janna Dominque Oliva) teams, -57kg taekwondo jin Pauline Louise Lopez, wushu bets Agatha Wong and Divine Wally, Caluag in BMX, ju-jitsu bet Margarito Ochoa plus the newest contributors Dines Dumaan and Jefferson Rhey Loon in pencak silat.

There were heartbreaks and heartaches, but there were also surprises, including the bronzes delivered by Dumaan and Loon in a sport not so familiar to Filipinos.

On those who failed to deliver, Gomez said: “Baka kulang pa sa exposure.”

“Parang sa fencing, you really have to go out and have all the exposures that you can get for you to improve,” Gomez pointed out.