Against all odds PHL hopes for breakthrough in SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines - It’s difficult to imagine how the Philippines has failed to finish higher than fifth place overall in the 11-nation standings of the biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games since registering its only No. 1 placing when Manila hosted in 2005.

The records show that in the last five stagings, the Philippines was repeatedly overshadowed by neighbors Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. In 2013, the Philippines suffered its most humiliating tailspin, plummeting to an all-time low seventh place behind Vietnam and Myanmar. The performance improved to sixth in 2015, the same spot where the Philippines landed in 2007 and 2011. The Philippines was fifth in 2009.

With the Philippines set to battle in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 19-30, the country’s chef de mission Cynthia Carrion says the goal is to finish fourth or fifth.

“Last year, our GDP growth (6.9 percent) was higher than the countries that usually outshine us in the SEA Games like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam,” she says. “In fact, our GDP growth was higher than China’s and Taiwan’s. I can’t understand why we don’t do as well in sports. Filipino athletes are fighters and we won’t be content to finish near the bottom of the standings.”

Carrion, who is also Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president and an elected POC board member, says despite the obstacles, she’s upbeat about the country’s chances in Kuala Lumpur. “My personal goal is at least 50 gold medals, a more conservative estimate from the 63 that the presidents of our NSAs are promising. We’re 100 percent ready to battle. The PSC has allocated P87 million for our participation. We’re good to go.”

The Philippines is sending 497 athletes to compete in 37 of the 38 sports in the calendar, with cricket the only exception. In the 2015 edition, the country was represented by 472 athletes who brought home 29 gold, 36 silver and 61 bronze medals from 403 events in 35 sports. When the Philippines won its only overall championship in 2005, 743 athletes wore the national colors and garnered 113 gold medals from 444 events in 40 sports.

In the SEA Games context, the hometown advantage is a major factor. It’s no coincidence that the only overall championships of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam came when they hosted. That’s because hosts make home cooking an art and conspire to create an edge over other countries with some cunning backroom maneuvers.  Take this year’s SEA Games as a case in point. The Malaysian organizers have eliminated women’s weightlifting, two divisions in men’s boxing, the entire women’s boxing program, softball for men and women, rowing and wrestling. That means Rio Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz and four-time SEA Games boxing gold medalist Josie Gabuco aren’t able to participate. In boxing, the Malaysian hosts brought down the events from 11 divisions to only six. The lightweight and welterweight divisions were erased, forcing the ABAP to reshuffle fighters and readjust to the available classes.

Carrion says another Malaysian trick was setting the age floor for gymnastics at 18 when the Olympic rule is 16. That has struck out Filipino 17-year-old Caloy Yulo who would’ve been a shoo-in for the gold in at least one event. Carrion says the Philippines’ request to apply the Olympic rule was denied.  Another Philippine request to allow trackster Eric Cray more recovery time in between events was denied.

No doubt, the SEA Games are notorious for hosts manipulating the sports calendar to suit their taste, often at the expense of the Olympic spirit. For instance, when Myanmar hosted in 2013, the calendar left out tennis and gymnastics but included kenpo, vovinam and chilone. In 2015, weightlifting got the boot and floorball made it in Singapore’s program. In 2011, Indonesia brought in wall-climbing, roller sport, bridge and paragliding. This year, Malaysia is introducing winter sports in a non-winter Southeast Asian setting with ice hockey, figure skating and short-track speed skating.

In the run-up to the SEA Games, there were problems that haunted the Philippine campaign from the onset. In tennis, world-rated doubles specialist Treat Huey backed out at the last minute to focus on the coming US Open, with the Fil-Am’s slot taken over by 18-year-old A. J. Lim. The mixed doubles combination of Huey and Denise Dy delivered the only Philippine gold in tennis at the 2015 edition. In men’s rugby 7s, the defending gold medalist Philippine team hasn’t received clearance from its Japanese sponsor to compete in KL, much to the consternation of the POC. At presstime, the team is still training in Japan with no indication when or if it will leave for KL. Women’s volleyball went through a political wringer before a lineup was finalized, with the country’s most popular player Alyssa Valdez making it in the nick of time.

On a bright note, several former Olympians are in the Philippine delegation and their mere presence will be a positive. Taekwondo’s Kirstie Alora, who made her Olympic debut in Rio, will be the country’s flag-bearer during the opening day parade. Other Rio Olympians out to make their mark in KL are Cray, marathon’s Mary Joy Tabal, long-jumper Marestella Torres, boxer Charly Suarez and swimming’s Jessie Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhaldi. Shooter Brian Rosario, archer Mark Javier and BMX’s Chris Caluag will bring their 2012 London experience to KL.

More than any other gold, Filipino fans will cherish what the men’s basketball team is expected to harvest. While Gilas head coach Chot Reyes concentrates on the FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon, Jong Uichico will call the shots in KL. After the Lebanon meet ends on Aug. 20, Reyes will fly to the SEA Games to catch up with Uichico. With Reyes on the flight from Lebanon will be Christian Standhardinger and Carl Bryan Cruz, the only two players picked for both the FIBA Asia Cup and the SEA Games.

On the women’s side, coach Pat Aquino hopes to finally end the gold medal drought. The women’s basketball team has never won the gold in 17 SEA Games since the event was introduced in 1977. Aquino just returned from the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Bangalore, India, where Perlas downed North Korea, 78-63, to retain its spot in Level I. Last year, Perlas bagged the SEABA title via a clean sweep and if that’s an indication, the Philippines will likely claim its first women’s basketball gold medal in KL.

Carrion says in the race for medals, swimming and athletics open the door for a big haul. Athletics has 45 gold medals at stake and swimming, 40. In 2015, the Philippines took five golds in athletics and none in swimming. PATAFA president Philip Juico says he’s praying for at least seven golds, five silvers and 11 bronzes in KL even as Fil-Am hammer thrower Caleb Stuart won’t be back to defend his SEA Games crown. There are 38 men and women in the Philippine track squad with Cray, Kayla Richardson and Christopher Ulboc returning to reprise their golden showing in Singapore. Tabal booked a silver in marathon two years ago and with her Rio credentials, might just pull in a gold this time now that her PATAFA issues are finally resolved. Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, another silver medalist in 2015, is being counted on for a gold, too. Three-time Olympian Torres, 36, is in the twilight of a brilliant career and would like nothing more for a climax than collecting her fifth SEA Games gold medal in long jump.

The boxing bets are lightflyweight Carlo Paalam, flyweight Ian Clark Bautista, bantamweight Mario Fernandez, junior welterweight Suarez, middleweight Eumir Marcial and lightheavyweight John Marvin. Bautista, Fernandez and Marcial slugged their way to golds in 2015 and they’re back for another serving. Marcial gave up his slot at the AIBA World Championships in Hamburg on Aug. 25-Sept. 2 for the chance to pocket another SEA Games gold. In Hamburg, the proposition is high-risk for high reward. In KL, it’s low-risk for low reward so the probability of earning a bonus, even if not eye-opening, is much higher at the SEA Games.

In figure skating, it’s a two-way battle for the gold between Southeast Asia’s first Winter Olympic qualifier Michael Martinez and Malaysian hotshot Julien Yee. Their rivalry will come to a head in KL where Yee is expected to draw inspiration from the hometown crowd.

In judo, the country is pinning its hopes on a brigade of Filipino-Japanese contenders Kohei Kohagura, Keisei Nakano, Shugen Nakano, Kiyomi Watanabe and Mariya Takahashi. Davao City’s Sidney Sy Tancontian completes the judo cast for KL.

In billiards, Efren (Bata) Reyes will be back on the table to anchor a sharp-shooting squad of nine men and two women.  Included in the roster are potential gold medalists Warren Kiamco, Dennis Orcollo, Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit. In taekwondo, returning gold medalists Sam Morrison and Pauline Lopez and the men’s poomsae trio of Dustin Mella, Raphael Mella and Rodolfo Reyes lead a formidable 12-strong cast that includes flag-bearer Alora.

In SEA Games history, Thailand has captured the most gold medals with 2,089 in 28 editions, followed by Indonesia with 1,714 in 20, Malaysia with 1,104 in 28, the Philippines with 894 in 20 and Singapore with 828 in 28. The Philippines joined the conclave in 1977 with Indonesia and Brunei. East Timor was the latest addition in 2003. Thailand has won the overall title in four of the last five stagings. Carrion says even as the overall championship is not within the realm of the Philippines’ realistic dreams, participating in the SEA Games means a lot more than just winning. She says bringing honor to the country by performing to the best of one’s ability is what every athlete aspires for in the effort to inspire national pride.