More chances to strike gold?

At the Asian Games in Bangkok four years ago, there were 377 gold medals at stake in 36 sports. The Philippines wound up 21st of 43 countries, collecting a single gold, five silvers, and 12 bronzes.

In Busan, there are 420 golds up for grabs in 38 sports. Will the Philippines benefit from the increase in the pot? Let’s examine the situation.

The same 36 sports in Bangkok are in the Busan calendar. The additions are bodybuilding (eight golds) and modern pentathlon (six). Two Filipinos are entered in the bodybuilding competition–flyweight Roman Cortuna and lightweight Alfredo Trazona. No Filipino is competing in modern pentathlon–one of eight disciplines the Philippines is sitting out (the others are football, handball, hockey, kabaddi, rugby, tennis, and volleyball).

Of the 36 repeat sports, the Busan organizers increased the gold medal haul in nine. Aquatics raised its harvest from 39 in Bangkok to 43, the increment coming from diving. The Philippine divers in Busan are Jaime Asok, Rexel Fabriga, and Sheila Mae Perez. Asok and Fabriga are competing in the 10-meter platform and synchronized diving while Perez is entered in the three-meter springboard.

Shooting had the biggest rise from 34 to 42. The Philippine shooters are Eric Ang (shotgun), Emerito Concepcion (rifle), Jethro Dionisio (shotgun), Nathaniel Padilla (pistol), Jaime Recio (shotgun), Therese Cantada (pistol), Gay Josephine Corral (shotgun), and Jasmin Luis (rifle).

Cycling also showed an increase from 15 to 20, including eight for women. A lone female is in the Philippine cast–Marites Bitbit who’s participating in the 80-100-kilometer individual road race, 24-kilometer individual time trial, and the mountain bike cross country. There are six males in the squad–Paterno Curtan, Victor Espiritu, Bryan Dimacali, Merculio Ramos, Frederick Feliciano, and Eusebio Quinones.

In Bangkok, Espiritu bagged a bronze in the 200-kilometer road race which was topped by Wong Kao Po of Hong Kong. Espiritu actually figured in a deadlock for second with Makoto Iijima of Japan but dropped to third in a tiebreak.

Other sports with increases are canoeing (12 to 13), fencing (10 to 12), judo (14 to 16), rowing (11 to 13), soft tennis (four to seven), and wrestling (16 to 18).

Unfortunately, the Philippines failed to medal in any of the nine sports, except cycling, in Bangkok. So it doesn’t look like the increase in the stakes will make a difference in the country’s quest for gold.

Gandy Valle and Romeo Villanueva produced the Philippines’ solitary gold in Bangkok. They did it in the billiards event of nine-ball doubles. Neither Valle nor Villanueva is back on the national squad whose stars are Efren (Bata) Reyes, Francisco (Django) Bustamante, Antonio Lining, Lee Van Corteza, Rey Grandea, Benjamin Guevara, Warren Kiamco, Marlon Manalo, and James Ortega. There are 10 golds on the line in billiards and snooker. Reyes is entered in eight-ball pool singles, English billiards doubles, three-cushion carom singles and partie libre singles while Bustamante is competing in the nine-ball pool doubles with Lining.

The silvers in Bangkok came from Donald Geisler in taekwondo, Gerald Rosales in golf (he lost by a stroke to Tomohiro Kondo of Japan), the men’s golf team (finished 10 strokes behind Japan), and wushu’s Mark Rosales and Rolly Chulhang.

Geisler and Rosales are the only holdovers in Busan. The golf squad is made up of Jerome Delariarte, Marlon Dizon, Juvic Pagunsan, Angelo Que, Heidi Chua, Ria Denise Quiazon, and Carmelette Villaroman. Wushu’s bets are Rosales, Bobby Co, Eduard Polayang, Rexel Nganhayna, Joseph Pasiwat, Marvin Sicomen, Arvin Ting, Janice Hung, May Lim, and Lily So. Geisler is joined by jins Alexander Briones, Roberto Cruz, Tshomlee Go, Manuel Rivero, Dindo Simpao, Margie Bonifacio, Daleen Cordero, Eva Marie Ditan, Veronica Domingo, Sally Solis, and Kalindi Tamayo.

Bonifacio, a heavyweight, captured a bronze in Bangkok along with teammates Rodolfo Abratique and Nelia Sy, both no longer in the contingent.

Taekwondo has 16 golds on the line and wushu, 11.

Other bronze medallists in Bangkok were boxer Eric Canoy, the men’s basketball squad, the women’s golf team (behind China and South Korea), swimmer Ryan Papa, Chulhang and Jerome Lumabus of wushu, Espiritu, and bowler Virgilio Sablan.

The sports where the Philippines is expected to vie for top honors include basketball, boxing, bowling, billiards, taekwondo, wushu, and golf. Other sports which may also deliver medals are athletics, cycling, karate, shooting and swimming.

The first gold medal will be decided in fencing this Sunday. There are 12 Filipino fencers in Busan–Armando Bernal, Rolando Canlas, Edward Davila, Ramil Endriano, Richard Gomez, Walbert Mendoza, Emerson Segui, Edmond Velez, Avelino Victorino, Lorella Bauzon, Lenita Reyes, and Lorraine San Diego.

Hostilities in boxing begin on Oct. 2 and end on Oct. 10 at the 6,000-seat Masan gymnasium. The Philippines is entered in eight of 12 boxing divisions. Heading the pack is two-time Olympian Romeo Brin. Others are 1994 Asiad bronze medallist Anthony Igusquiza, Harry Tanamor, Violito Payla, Roel Laguna, Maraon Goles, Ferdie Gamo, and Chris Camat.

The Philippine cagers make their Busan debut against the United Arab Emirates on Sept. 28. Lebanon has withdrawn from the basketball joust after its disastrous winless showing at the World Championships in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. The shameful performance led to American coach Johnny Neumann’s termination. China also fared poorly in the tournament, losing seven of eight. The upside for the Philippines is the Chinese could show up in Busan with their confidence shattered and morale broken. The downside is the Chinese could take out their frustrations on every team–yes, including the Philippines–that blocks their path to another Asiad gold medal.

The conservative estimate is the country’s 218 athletes will bring back at least four gold medals–a big jump from the haul in Bangkok.

Making predictions is not easy. It puts unnecessary pressure on the athletes and raises the fans’ expectations, sometimes beyond reasonable limits. Soothsaying is a highly speculative business which borders on gossiping but of course, it’s an avocation among Filipinos.

Rather than peg a figure on what to expect from Busan, let’s just pray that our athletes perform to the best of their abilities, come home safely, and do the country proud. The medals will be the bonus.