Philippine bets hoping to medal in initial blast of Asiad action

JAKARTA – Philippine sports officials hope the swashbuckling opening-game victory by the national quintet can serve as an inspiration for the rest of the Filipino athletes as they start their quests for precious mints the day after curtains finally go up in the 18th Asian Games here Saturday night.

Twenty gold medals will be at stake Sunday, with the Philippine contingent banking on the Filipino jins in a bid to get to the medal column right in the initial blast of hostilities in the Jakarta meet gathering 15,000 athletes and sports officials in the region.

Gilas Pilipinas ripped apart Kazakhstan, 96-59, in a rousing debut in men’s basketball competition, providing an early morale boost and momentum for Team Philippines ahead of the opening rites set at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. in Manila) tonight at the 75,000-seater Gelaro Bung Karno Sports Complex.

Fil-Am NBA player Jordan Clarkson missed the Philippines-Kazakh match but will lead the Philippine delegation during the march past of 45 competing nations estimated to last an hour.

The Philippine volleybelles, the among the darlings of the Philippine contingent, arrived in the Indon capital Friday and will be among the country’s representatives in the parade to be watched by a number of head of states and dignitaries from the gallery, and billions of Asian sporting fans on television.

Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, the actor/multi-athlete who is the Philippines’ chef de mission in this meet, will be among those marching behind the flag-bearer.

Each of the 272 Filipino athletes here are raring to respond to President Duterte’s challenge “to do your best and do it fair and square” during the send-off ceremony at Malacanang Palace.

But, first, they join athletes from the other nations in a gathering of Asian sports stars in the 18th Asian Games inaugurals in what’s expected to be a colossal ceremony to show the world Indonesia is a big country capable of hosting of a big international event.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is announcing to the world that Indonesia is advancing and will “elevate its name in the international community in the Asiad inaugurals set a day after the country’s 73rd Independence Day.

It will be a night of colors, artistry and music with the organizers lining up an array of renowned Indonesian singers to perform in what promises to be a spectacular stage, one of the largest of its kind.

Among the performers are internationally recognized Indon artists in Raisa, Tulus, Edo Kondologit, Putri Ayu, Fatin, GAC, Kamasean and Via Vallen in the second Asiad held here.

In 1962, Indonesia hosted the fourth edition of the quadrennial games where then President Soekarno declared the games open in the same sprawling Gelora Bong Karno Stadium.

The Asiad then featured only 13 events participated in by 1,460 athletes from 17 nations.

Now, the Indonesia is hosting the biggest ever Asian Games in terms of participation with a logo “Energy of Asia” depicting the “strengthening spirit of the games, participated in by multicultural nations shining for the world to see.

In addition, the 18th Asian Games bring together Asian countries together as a unified contingent.

There’s the unified team of South and North Korea women’s football, exemplifying the games’ promotion of peace and harmony in the region.