RP sees 11-gold haul in 3 fronts

MANILA, Philippines - Billiards, karatedo and women’s boxing are tipped to deliver at least 11 gold medals for Team Philippines as the RP bets gear up for next month’s Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

Speaking at the PSA Forum, Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines president Arturo Ilagan said billiards is capable of delivering four to five gold medals in the biennial meet slated Dec. 9-18.

Women’s national boxing coach Glicerio Catolico also predicted a haul of at least three golds by his wards, who are reaching peak form following their stint in the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam recently.

“Based on what I saw in Hanoi, we can win three to four golds,” said Catolico, who was joined in the forum by assistant coach Roel Velasco.

Catolico picked Thailand and an improving Vietnam team as the RP team’s chief rivals for the gold medals.

On the other hand, Raymund Lee Reyes, the Philippine Karatedo Federation deputy secretary general, and head coach David Lay are confident their eight-man squad can win at least two gold medals.

The karatedo officials cited the improvement of their athletes following the hiring of Japanese coach Yazuo Hanzaki.

“He’s very meticulous in improving what the athletes are doing,” Lay said of Hanzaki, a sixth degree blackbelt holder. “He provides a very good mindset on doing the basics properly. He has corrected a lot of things and a very keen observer.”

Karatedo won five silvers in the last SEA Games in Thailand.

Ilagan said he has altered his earlier target of five to seven gold medals because the Nationals were unable to train on snooker tables.

World champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Ronnie Alcano and Rubilen Amit will banner the billiards and snooker squads.

Pagulayan will compete in the snookers singles together with Carlo Biado, who will join forces with Roberto Gomez Jr. in the doubles event. Reyes will play in the English billiard singles and in the 9-ball doubles with buddy Francisco “Django” Bustamante.

Alcano will see action in the 8-ball singles along with Gandy Valle.

Ramil Gallego and Dennis Orcollo will compete in 9-ball singles while Rey Grandea has the most number of events with three - English billiard singles and doubles (with Warren Kiamco) and 1 cushion carom singles. Rodolfo Luat is the other RP bet in 1-cushion carom.

Annie Albania, the lone women’s boxing gold medalist in the AIG and in the 2007 SEA Games, will spearhead the women’s boxing squad.

Rubilen Amit, who ruled the women’s world 10-ball championship last June, will see action in 8-ball and 9-ball, while Mary Ann Basas and Iris Ranola are also entered in the 8-ball and 9-ball events, respectively. Amit is actually gunning for her third straight gold in 8-ball.

Annie Albania, the lone women’s boxing gold medalist in the AIG and in the 2007 SEA Games, will spearhead the women’s boxing squad.

She hopes to retain her crown in the 51 kg while veteran Mitchel Martinez, a two-time Asian champion, will see action in what could be her last SEA Games in the 60 kg class.

Josie Gabuco and Alice Kate Aparri are vying in the 46 and 48 kg categories, respectively.

Doha Asian Games silver medalist Ma. Marna Pabillore headlines the karatedo squad together with SEAG individual kata silver medalist Noel Espinosa, who also won a bronze in Doha.

Pabillore will see action in the -55 kg class while Mae Soriano and Lutche Metante, both silver medalists in the previous SEA Games, are competing in the -50 and +68 kg. classes, respectively.

Cherly Tugday will join Soriano, Metante and Pabillore in the kumite squad.

Joining Espinosa in the men’s team are Ace Eso (-55 kg), Ireneo Toribio (-60 kg), Joel Gonzaga (-84 kg) and Michael Dumayag (+84 kg). Reyes said Gonzaga and Rolando Lagman Jr. have yet to get the approval of the Philippine Sports Commission or the Philippine Olympic Committee.

“They are both deserving to compete in the SEA Games,” he said. Lagman, who was considered because of his good performance in the Hong Kong Championship, is part of the kumite team with Gonzaga, Eso, Toribio, Dumayag and Espinosa.