Harvest of gold continues for Team Phl

The Philippines kept its relentless drive and stayed way ahead of the pack in Day 2 of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, netting 16 gold medals, including two precious ones clutched from the very sport dearest to the Filipinos.

Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, Clare Castro and Jack Animam hung tough in the clutch to get back at the Thais, 17-13, and snare the women’s 3x3 gold, while CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Mo Tautaa and Jason Perkins dominated the Indonesians, 21-9, to complete their unbeaten run in the men’s side of the inaugural staging of the “other” basketball event to the delight of the crowd at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

But arnis, which produced five gold medals in men’s division in Day One highlighted by dance sport’s imposing 10-gold haul, took the spotlight this time with seven at the Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga, including four in the women’s side, making the country’s national sport the best-performing national sports association so early in the two-week long competition.

After a sweep of the individual triathlon golds, the sport added two more – in mixed team relay and duathlon in Subic, while cycling finally delivered two gold medals in Laurel, Batangas, and weightlifting, lawn bowls and pencak silat added one apiece for that 16-gold onslaught.

Counting its seven silvers and four bronze medals, the Philippines hiked its medal tally to 38-20-13 (gold-silverbronze), padding its lead over Vietnam (15-20-16) with Malaysia moving from fourth to third with 10-2-7 and Indonesia improving from fifth to fourth with 6-11-12.

Thailand, which ruled the 2013-15 SEAG editions in overpowering fashions, slipped from third to fifth with 6-9-16 followed by Singapore (3-7-7), Cambodia (1-3-13), Brunei (1-3-3), Myanmar (0-5-14) and Laos (0-0-2) and Timor Leste still without a medal of any color as of 7 p.m.