NAKHON Ratchasima – A sign of surrender or a symbolic sacrifice to make a point?The act made by the Filipino campaigners  in the 24th Southeast Asian Games finals of boxing, arguably the sportsfest's most popular event, on Thursday  might look unpopular and unsportsmanlike to some, if not most, for  those who saw and heard it happen.But Filipino sports officials here, led by Bacolod lawmaker and chef  de mission Monico Puentevella, said   the decision to order the ...

Middleweight Junie Tizon and lightheavyweight Maximino Tabangcora ended the Philippine boxing team's campaign here by conceding their respective matches after one round. Both fighters refused to mix it up and thus failed to score a single point. Tizon was down 0-9 and Tabangcora 0-3 to tehir Thai opponents when they quit. The Philippines thus ended its boxing campaign in the men's division with seven silver medals.I will try to interview ABAP president Manny Lopez and head coach Nolito Velasco ...

Superlightweight Larry Semillano earned the respect of the hostile Thai crowd by slugging it out till the end with Athens Olympic gold medallist Manus Boonjumnong before losing on points, 4-10. It was the first bout featuring a Filipino to be completed in what had been a bizarre afternoon of boxing here. Semillano gamely fought the Thai champion in the latter two rounds after playing it safe in Rounds 1 and 2. At the end of the match and during the medal ceremony, he was widely applauded by the...

Apparently, the boxing officials have offered a compromise: they will allow our boxers to trade punches, but not finish their bouts. Featherweight Orlando Tacuvan called it quits at the end of the second rund with his Thai opponent miles ahead, 19-3, while lightweight Joegin Ladon didn't even bother to finish the first round after taking a standing eight count and falling behind 8-2. The crowd has been booing the Filipino boxers during the medal ceremonies. Three more boxers are scheduled to f...

In a stunning move, the Philippine boxing team has decided to concede all its gold medal matches against host Thailand in a protest over what it perceives to be biased officiating. So far as of this time flyweight Godfrey Castro and bantamweight Junel Cantancio have both entered the ring only to concede after the first round bell was rung.   "We are sending a message to the officials, " said a visibly angry chef de mission Monico Puentevella. "If they want the gold medals we will give it ...

NAKHON Ratchasima –Newly-crowned individual compound archery champion Amaya Paz was often right on the mark, leading the three-woman national squad to the team championship of the same event Wednesday in the 24th Southeast Asian Games at the Suranaree University of Technology Football Field 2 here.With Paz shooting four perfect 10s and veteran Jennifer Chan hitting a pair, the nationals, who also include Abbigail Tindugan, bested the Indonesian side made up of Dellie Dinda, Heliarti and Lilies, ...

NAKHON Ratchashima – Believing he has finally found his groove, Cecil Mamiit defends his men’s singles tennis title against Thai top seed Danai Udomchoke in the the 24th Southeast Asian Games Friday.“I felt I wasn’t really in shape when I first met Danai here. I hope things will be different this time,” said Mamiit, who dropped a 4-6, 4-6 decision to the Thai in the men’s team event a week ago.The second-ranked Mamiit and Udomchoke take to the His Majesty’s the King’s 80th Anniversary Tennis Cen...

NAKHON Ratchasima – Fil-Ams Cecil Mamiiit and Denise Dy teamed up to topple the top-seeded Thai tandem of Somchat Ratiwatana and Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-4, 6-0, to enter the mixed doubles finals of the 24th SEA Games tennis competitions  here Thursday.After a relatively close first set, Mamiit and Dy blanked the Thai pair in the second set to wrap up the contest in 63 minutes and silence the hometown gallery at His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary Tennis Center.The RP duo will be battling...

I had a brief chat with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Patrick Gregorio minutes after the Philippines lost to Malaysia, 56-74, in women’s competition, relegating the RP cagebelles to the bronze medal. We discussed the future of women’s basketball in the Philippines and what programs the SBP is coming up with to develop the sport. Excerpts of the interview:     On the performance of the team in the SEA Games Our women’s team is a very young team, in terms of age,...

NAKHON Ratchasima – At 32, Victor Espiritu knows there are only few years left in his cycling career.But that didn’t stop him from turning back time late Monday to rule track’s points race at the 24th SEA Games cycling competitions at the velodrome of the His Majesty’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Main Stadium.The Malabon native and current Navotas resident seemed like his old youthful self, sprinting away right from the start and easily keeping his chasers at bay.With teammates Stephen Pelaez and ...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA --  Julius Felisicimo Nierras Jr. salvaged for the country its solitary gold medal by ruling the men’s 400 meter at the conclusion of athletics competitions at the posh Nakhon Ratchasima Main Stadium here.   Running in lane 3 besides sentimental favorite Jukkatip Pojaroen of Thailand, Nierras, who used to play second fiddle to his more illustrious compatriots Ernie Candelario and Jimar Aing, engaged his host in a down the wire sprinting duel in the final 100...

NAKHON Ratchasima – Esther Marie Singson is out for total SEA Games redemption and the only way to do that is to win in the biennial meet’s 24th edition.“Extra motivation para sa akin, ang bumawi dito sa SEA Games,” she said Wednesday as the RP taekwondo jins geared for battle.The petite Singson is entered anew in the under-55kg class, the same event she topped two years ago in Manila.The euphoria that followed her win soon turned into grief, however, when it was overturned and her gold taken aw...

NAKHON Ratchashima – They saw, they swam, and, oh, how they conquered.At the end of the five-day 24th Southeast Asian Games swimming competitions Tuesday, Filipino swimmers garnered a grand haul of eight gold, three silver and seven bronze medals in their best outing yet since the 1991 Manila Games.The Filipinos exceeded expectations, emerging as a force to reckon with by placing second overall behind dominant Singapore (11-9-6) while relegating swimming powerhouse Malaysia (7-8-8) to third.Even...

NAKHON Ratchashima – Filipino medalists in the 24th Southeast Asian Games will get an extra bonus for Christmas from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. said late Tuesday.“I have been informed by Malacanang that President Arroyo will give all of our Southeast Asian Games medalists bonuses, regardless whether they win the gold, silver or bronze,” said Cojuangco shortly after witnessing the Team Philippines swimmers perform at the end of the...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA - National boxing coach Nolito Velasco is hoping 13 will be a lucky number for the Philippines as 13 of our boxers – seven men and six women – shoot for the gold medal in the finals of the SEA Games competition Wednesday and Thursday.  The Pinoy pugilists have the second-most number of entries in the finals, next to – you guessed it – host Thailand, which has a fighter in the finals of all 16 weight categories in both men’s and women’s competition. And yes, ...

By Arman Carandang PATTAYA – The Filipino sailors are on the right track in at least four categories in the sailing competitions of the 24th Southeast Asian Games, thanks to the cooperative winds blowing fairly and squarely  on everyone at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club.The team skippered by Allan Balladares in the 470 International class is leading in the five-team field that also includes sailors from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Myanmar.Balladares and his crew – Rommel Chavez – in...

By Bong Pedralvez NAKHON Ratchasima – Beijing Olympics-bound Marie Antoinette Rivero shoots for her third straight Southeast Asian Games gold as the taekwondo competitions begin at the Vonchavalikuth Hall here Wednesday.Rivero, who made her golden debut in the regional sports showcase at the tender age of 14 in the 2003 Vietnam Games, will compete in the welterweight (under-72) kilogram) division.Not even the slight pain in her right leg she suffered en route to booking an Olympic slot in t...

By Sid Ventura I watched my very first sepak takraw match today. For the uninitiated, sepak takraw is like volleyball, only you use your feet, head and even your back instead of your hands. It appears to be a difficult sport to master, but it is also exciting and action-packed with virtually non-stop movement and a lot of muscle coordination needed to execute shots like an inside kick, knee kick, or a dink.   The Philippines lost in straight sets to Laos, 19-21 and 14-21, in the men’s re...

by Bong PedralvezNAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand – A once-in-a-lifetime race where everything fell into place.That was what Daniel Coakley had in the 14th Southeast Asian Games on a glorious Monday when Filipino swimmers stamped their class at His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday  Anniversary Aquatic Center here.Consider the long list of feats that that the 6-foot-1 Coakley, whose father is Hawaiian and mom is Filipino, accomplished three days short of his 18th birthday on Dec. 13:11.*He erased...

By Arman CarandangPATTAYA – The RP men’s and women’s teams in the traditional boat race plunge into action Tuesday, hoping to gain a headstart in their bid to keep the titles in the 1000-meter and 500m events in the 24th Southeast Asian Games.The opening race at the enormous Mab Prachan Reservoir will determine which of the entries will run in Wednesday’s finals in the men’s and women’s divisions of the longer event.On Thursday, the preliminary heats–if there are more entries–will be done in the...

By EDDIE G. ALINEANAKHON RATCHASIMA—United States-trained Henry Dagmil leaped his way to a Southeast Asian and Philippine records 7.87 meters in outclassing the opposition in the men’s long jump on Monday at the resumption of athletics action at His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary Nakhon Ratchasima Stadium.   The well-built Filipino field specialist, who spent almost two years in California since winning this event in the 2005 edition of the Games held in Manila, actually eclip...

NAKHON Ratchasima – Three more Philippine female boxers advanced to the finals Monday, further enhancing Team RP’s chances of garnering more gold medals in the 24th SEA Games at the Tumbon Meangpug Gym here.Two-time Asian champion Mitchel Martinez, fellow world championship veteran Alice Kate Apari and Annalisa Cruz all flashed devastating forms in ruling their respective weight classes and bringing to 10 the number of RP boxers in the finals.Hoping to follow suit should they win their semifinal...

PATTAYA – Wind could be a determining factor in the canoe-kayak competitions of the 24th Southeast Asian games, and the Philippines’ three entries – Danny Funelas, Jeremiah Tambor and Norwell Cajes – were somehow elated to discover that wind was just as good to everybody in Mab Prachan Reservoir.“Okay lang po ang hangin, at kung lumakas man po ay lahat naman tatamaan, kaya diskarte na lang po,” said Cajes, who along with Funelas and Tambor tested the waters in the spacious reservoir that is the ...

NAKHON Ratchasima – World champion Willy Wang successfully defended his SEA Games nanquan title as RP wushu found a pleasant surprise in Mariane Mariano Monday in the games’ 24th edition at the Kebkanjana CTech gym here.Wang, who won the world title in the event in Beijing only last month, turned in his lowest score yet of 9.50 in the nangun (Southern-style cudgel) but that was still enough to top the three-event competition with a 28.60 total, .18 points ahead of his nearest rival.The 21-year-o...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand – Fil-Am Eric Taino vanquished Vietnam’s Do Min Quanh, 6-2, 6-1, and found himself in a quarterfinal showdown with Thai top seed Danai Udomchoke in the 24th Southeast Asian Games tennis championships Monday.The southpaw Filipino netter took out the Vietnamese in 48 minutes and had plenty to spare when he teamed up with Diane Matias in the mixed doubles to oust the Malaysian pair of V.Y. Thinathan and Balakrishnan, 6-2, 6-2, and book a spot in the quarters.However, sta...

By Sid Ventura   Gabe Norwood, the amiable Fil-Am cager, is happy to be here in Nakhon Ratchasima spearheading the country’s quest for a gold in its favorite sport.   “It’s a great honor,” he says. “I’m blessed to have another opportunity to represent the country. A lot of people were disappointed with the way FINA-Asia ended. I’m just getting a chance to redeem myself, so I’m trying to make the most of it, help the team in any way that I can.”   Norwood was all smiles momen...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – After winning a series of gold medals on December 8, yesterday (December 9), Philippines only had two gold medals among all the games played. Rubilen Amit gained her gold medal in the 9-Ball Pool Singles for Women while Benjamin Tolentino made a tremendous effort for winning the Men’s Lightweight Singles Sculls (Rowing). However, a huge number of silvers added to the list yesterday. Among them were James Walsh for the 100m Butterfly, and Miguel Mol...

The Philippines failed to sustain the momentum of a good first half and bowed to host Thailand, 54-70, in the women's basketball competition of the SEA GAmes Sunday. The Filipinas, behind Fil-Am guard Vicky Brick, put up a gritty stand in the first two quarters, at one point even leading 26-15 after scoring the first 11 points of the second quarter. But the host Thais, buoyed by a passionate crowd that included what appeared to be a platoon of non-stop cheering Army soldiers stationed at a nearb...

The Philippines drubbed Indonesia, 75-49, Sunday to remain the only unbeaten team halfway through the men’s basketball competition of the SEA Games. The Philippine team, composed of the best players in the Philippine Basketball League, flexed its defensive muscles midway through the second quarter, holding Indonesia scoreless over the last 5:26 of the first half while scoring 13 points of their own to enter the halftime break up 46-24. The Filipinos continued their suffocating defense in the thi...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – Hard to believe that 19-year-old Michelle Bruzola, who won the women’s individual epee last gold in her first Southeast Asian Games last Friday, took up the sport by accident two years ago.      “I was varsity volleyball player for UE then our fencing coach invited me to join the fencing team kaya eventually nakasali ako sa national team in 2005,” said the doe-eyed Bruzola, an Information Technology Student at UE.    &nb...

NAKHON RATCHASHIMA – She traveled halfway around the globe, 22 hours nonstop, only to be told that her chance to play for flag and country in the 24th Southeast Asian Games was no longer there.This was the sad fate of Filipino-Canadian Mallory Dayot, who arrived at 4 a.m. in Bangkok Sunday as a reinforcement for the RP women’s football squad.But what her SEA Games debut wound up a bust after Vietnam beat Laos, 4-1, Saturday that eliminated the Filipina booters from  advancing to the semifin...

NAKHON RATCHASHIMA – A big hit among other athletes at the Southeast Asian Games mess hall is the Filipino section, which opened shop last Friday. Mainly meant to serve the food and nutritional needs of Filipino bets in the regional sportsfest, chef Shirley Ann Joseph said “we find that half of those who come to our section are other athletes from the other nations.” Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuanco had earlier moved for Filipino food at Athletes’ Village m...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA - Before starting today's preview, let's have a little recap of what happened yesterday in various sports. Starting off with billiards. The master duo of Antonio Gabica and Marlon Manalo gained their feat as they won the 9-Ball Pool Doubles. While the swim-like-a-dolphin Filipino Miguel Molina banked another medal for the country. The Athletics team made a slam as they won 3 gold medals, 1 silver, and 2 bronzes in their respective events. Of course, the Rowing team w...

Getting from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, site of the majority of the events of the 24th SEA Games, should be a medal event in itself. After what I had to go through yesterday, I’m convinced I could easily win The Amazing Race, or give a creditable performance in the lead role of any future “Lost in Translation” remake.   After arriving at the airport around midnight Bangkok time, I was to look for the official SEA Games media accreditation booth located somewhere in the vast airport ter...

The Philippines struck gold on the pool table tonight (December 8) as Marlon Manalo and Antonio Gabica plastered Singapore's Chan Keng Kwan and Toh Lian Han, 11-6, to capture the men's nine-ball double gold.After splitting the first four racks with their Singaporean counterparts, the celebrated Philippine tandem buckled down to work, taking the next six racks to post a commanding 8-2 lead. But a golden break by Chan on the 11th rack sparked a mini-rally that saw Singapore win three of the next f...

PATTAYA – Benjamin Tolentino and Jose Rodriguez, who could be mistaken for basketball players because of their above-six feet ceilings, wove an awesome partnership as they kept the RP title in the men’s double sculls Saturday in the 24th Southeast Asian Games.The six-foot-2 Tolentino and 6’3 Rodriguez made light of Thailand ’s challenge and the rest of the six-team field to clinch the gold medal with a time of six minutes and 23.68 seconds over the two-kilometer stretch at Mab Prachan Reservoir....

NAKHON Ratchasima – Host Thailand , thriving behind a wildly-cheering hometown crowd, dethroned defending champion Philippines, 2-1, Saturday in the men’s team tennis competitions of the 24th Southeast Asian Games here.Revved up by the animated Thai gallery on center court of His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Tennis Center, the Ratiwatana brothers clinched the best-of-three semifinal tie by beating Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino, 6-4, 6-2, in the deciding doubles.Taino earlier beat W...

The RP Men's Water Polo again fell short of beating powerhouse Singapore, 3-7, in the 24th SEA Games on Saturday at the Aquatics Center in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.The Filipinos opened the scoring in the game after two minutes. Dale Evangelista capitalized on the team's one-man advantage to move ahead of the defending champions.But the Singaporeans, who are trying to keep the title they held since 1965, took charge, scoring five straight goals. Kenneth Wee put the Singaporeans on the board wi...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA - As of 4pm (Manila time), Philippines has 6 gold medals, 9 silvers, and 14 bronzes. For today, gold medals are courtesy of Ryan Mendoza for Men's Duathlon, Arniel Ferrer for Men's Hammer Throw, and the Philippine Rowing Team for Men's Double sculls. Silvers are won by the Rowing team for Men's Lightweight Double Sculls. and Bronze medals are courtesy of the Philippine Men and Women Tennis Team, Analiza Dysangco for Women's Duathlon, August Benedicto for Men's Duathlon, and the...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – After winning a few medals yesterday in Athletics, courtesy of Rosie Villarito and Eliezer Sunang, and Swimming, courtesy of Miguel Molina and Ryan Arabejo, Team Philippines started today with a bang through a gold medal courtesy of Ryan Mendoza for Men's Duathlon, silver medal by Men's Rowing Team, and bronze by Women's Rowing Team and August Benedicto for Men's Duathlon. Whew! Team Philippines is doing quite good. For today, after winning yesterday's game against...

NAKHON Ratchasima – Two years ago in Manila, long jumper Maristela Torres gifted the Philippines its first gold medal in athletics, keying off a five-gold medal harvest in the opening day of action of he 23rd Southeast Asian Games on the way for the host country’s capturing its first overall championship ever.Yesterday, as the 24th edition of the biennial conclave shifted to high gear, none of the nine Filipino runners, jumpers and throwers sent in five final events, succeeded in bagging at leas...

NAKHON Ratchasima – Swimming kept the country’s listing campaign in the 24th Southeast Asian Games afloat Friday with Miguel Molina and Ryan Arabejo emerging victorious from His Majesty’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Aquatic Center here.Appearing in his second SEA Games, Arabejo captured the men’s 200-meter back stroke pulling away while Molina, who won three golds in Manila two years ago, had to bank on a bank on strong breaststroke leg to narrowly retain his 400 individual medley crown.“I’m happy...

Miguel Molina made a thrilling finish to nab the gold medal in the 400-meter Individual Medley with a time of 4:28.85.Molina was trailing Indonesia's Muhammad Nasution in the first 250 meters but he made his move in the breaststroke leg of the medley to inch slightly ahead by just 0.05 seconds. Molina sealed the win by edging the Indonesian in the freestyle leg by a hairline with 1:00.93 to 1:00.94.

Ryan Arabejo topped the 200-meter Backstroke with a time of 2:05.82. In the morning heats, Arabejo qualified 2nd with 2:08.60.Ryan Papa, however, still holds the SEA Games record with 2:00.96 which he registered back in 1997.In the earlier final, Celina Gonzales finished 8th in the Women's 100-meter Freestytle with 1:01.74.

Miguel Molina clocked in first in the qualifying heats to make it in the Finals of the Men's 400-Meter Individual Medley. Molina had a time of 4:23.26.The other Philippine swimmers who qualified are Celina Gonzales in the Women's 100-Meter Freestyle, Ryan Arabejo in Men's 200-Meter Backstroke, and Erica Totten in the Women's 200-Meter Individual Medley.The Philippines also qualified in the Women's 4 x 200-Meter Freestyle.All Finals will be held at starting at 6pm tonight (7pm Manila time).

NAKHON Ratchasima – Even while he is not a personal witness to Team Philippines’ stint in the 24th SEA Games, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo is still keeping a close watch on how the country’s bets are doing. Proof is Mr. Arroyo sending his chief of staff, Undersecretary Juris Soliman, to help look after theRP athletes and, whenever possible, attend to their needs while they do battle at the games sites here, in Bangkok and Pattaya.“I came here with specific instructions from the First Gentlema...

After the opening ceremonies last night at the His Majesty the King 80th Birthday Anniversary stadium, today the Philippine team in various sporting events will slug it out in the battle field on who shall reign this year’s Southeast Asian Games. With that, here’s a sneak preview on what is happening today in SEAG2k7:  The Philippine team representing the Athletics event will compete head on against other representatives from the other countries in the 100m, 80m, Lon...

December 06 – All roads led to the His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium as the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) 2007 held its opening ceremonies with various performances in the presence of the Crown Prince, Vajiralong Korn.   Celebrated in commemoration of the birth of His Majesty the King, the ceremony kicked off with an opening number entitled “The Journey of Sea Games to Korat”. Showcasing Thailand’s talent in playing band instruments, the number paraded the colors of ...

NAKHON RATCHASIMA – As host, Thailand, as expected will do everything to win all the gold medals within its reach to ensure the Southeast Asian Games overall championship it last won in 1999 is brought back its shore.In women's basketball, for instance, the Thai Games Organizing Committee had to alter the schedule of games twice in two days in an apparent effort to scuttle the strongest challenge their team's chief rivals, especially the resurgent Philippine team, can put up.The Filipinas who we...

NAKHON RATCHASHIMA, Thailand – Aiming to surpass their feats two years ago,Filipino swimmers, lead by 2005 Southeast Asian Games triple gold medalist Miguel Molina, plunge into action Friday with  seven golds up for grabs at His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary Aquatic Center."Our swimmers are more improved and experienced. I think we have a good chance of surpassing our gold medal haul in 2005," said head coach Pinky Brosas, referring to the four golds won by his charges on hom...