Never has the Philippine contingent gained so much momentum heading into a Southeast Asian Games competition than this year when the crack 449-strong delegation wages war in various fronts in two key cities in Vietnam beginning Dec. 5.
The exploits of CJ Suarez, who became only the fourth Filipino to win the bowling World Cup, the women’s trio of Liza Clutario, Liza del Rosario and Cecilia Yap, who fashioned out a stirring victory in the world tenpin championships – the first by an Asian country — and the chessers’ impressive campaign abroad — Ronald Dableo in ruling the Asian Zonals and GMs Eugene Torre, Joey Antonio and Bong Villamayor’s 1-2-3 finish in a Belgium meet — are but some of the feats expected to inspire and spur this year’s SEA Gamers.
And who could ever forget Manny Pacquiao’s sensational victory over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in San Antonio, Texas two weeks ago?
In fact, the world’s newest boxing sensation welcomed the idea of joining First Gentleman Mike Arroyo as chief rooters of the team seeking a better finish which, many believe, would definitely serve the country in good stead when it hosts the event in 2005.
"Mas maganda yun kung isasama ako nila First Gentleman. Gusto ko iyon para makapanood ako ng SEA Games at makapag-cheer din (I’d be glad to go to Vietnam, watch the games and cheer our countrymen on)," said Pacquiao.
President Arroyo said she wants the Philippines to land in the top three in Vietnam, then go for all the marbles and probably win the overall championship on home soil in 2005.
The Chief Executive even approved a P111 million budget for the Filipinos’ participation in the meet.
It was also the First Gentleman who led a pledging session in Malacañang where the leaders of top corporations shelled out close to P24 million in donation to fund the training and preparation of the Filipino athletes.
Still, right motivation is one thing. Winning, or improving the country’s fifth-place finishes in the last two stagings of the biennial meet, is another.
The country’s top sports leaders — Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Celso Dayrit and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Eric Buhain — agree that the Filipinos can surpass their gold medal output — 31 — in Malaysia two years ago. Dayrit and Buhain are eyeing a haul of 40-60 gold medals in the 13-day event.
But observers note that the Philippines’ success in the meet should be measured not by the number of medals won or the number of records broken, but how the Filipinos would rank among their counterparts at the end of the battle.
The Philippines landed fifth overall in Kuala Lumpur, behind Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam in 2001, duplicating its finish in the Brunei Games in 1999.
"I believe we will hit 40 this time. But how much more we need to finish higher than fifth place, it’s difficult to predict," said Dayrit.
Perennial powers Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are again expected to fight it out for sports supremacy in the region.
As in past SEAG stagings, the Filipinos blew gold-medal chances even before the Games is held as some sports, which are rich gold medal sources like bowling and golf, have been scrapped by the host country although the Philippines hopes to make up for this with a strong showing in chess, which will be played for the first time.
But it will be in the traditional sports where the Filipinos are expected to vie for golds such as athletics, boxing, taekwondo, billiards, wushu, shooting and swimming with the basketball gold as sure as day given the crack roster of the RP quintet and a not-so daunting challenge from the rest of the field.
Besides, a setback in the sport so dear to the Filipinos would virtually negate whatever headway the country may gain in other fronts.
Athletics chief Go Teng Kok has predicted a 10-to-12 gold medal-production from his elite squad with long distance runner, Eduardo Buenavista, eyeing a three-gold haul in 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m and 10,000m runs.
"Para sa bayan at sa pamilya ko, pipilitin ko na makuha ang tatlong golds (For the country, and my family, I’ll do everything to win three golds)," said Buenavista, who, incidentally, is the country’s flag-bearer.
Others expected to deliver the goods are long jumper Lerma Bulauitan, John Lozada (800 meters), Ernie Candelario (400 meters), Dandy Gallenero (javelin), Fidel Gallenero (decathlon), Arnel Ferrera (hammer throw), Roy Vence (marathon), Rene Herrera (1,500 meters) and the 4x400 relay team of Ernie Candelario, Jimar Aing, Rodrigo Tanuan and Romy Marfil.
After a gold medal-shutout in Malaysia and notwithstanding the expected blitz from Thailand, local boxing officials are confident of a big rebound by the Filipino boxers with lightflyweight Harry Tañamor, a gold medal winner in the recent Afro-Asian Games in India, leading the bid along with Juanito Magliquian (45 kg), Violito Payla (51), Joan Tipon (54), Roel Laguna (57), Anthony Igusquiza (60), Mark Jason Melligen (64), Francis Joven (69) and Fil-American Chris Camat (75).
Veteran campaigner Roberto Cruz and David Geisler are the spearheads of a talent-laden taekwondo team which is expected to dominate the field while the mere mention of Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante is sure to rattle the opposition on the felt table.
Only the all-GM squad of the host country poses a threat to Torre and company but the Filipino chessers are fancied to outwit their youthful rivals in active chess. The Philippines is likewise pinning its gold medal hopes on wushu, swimming and shooting.
Dayrit lamented the SEA Games’ organizing committee’s exclusion of bowling and golf in this year’s calendar, two sports which accounted for at least five gold medals in Kuala Lumpur.
The absence of trackster Elma Muros-Posadas, a perennial gold medalist in the meet who has since retired, and the slight injury suffered by defending women’s marathon champion Cristabel Martes also lessened the gold medal potential of the country.
But the inclusion of chess and wrestling, as well as additional events in both fencing and wushu will make up for those lost gold opportunities.
"I’d rather not go into numbers. I’d rather say that our athletes would do their best. Overall, we believe we’ll regain golds that we’ve lost," said Dayrit.
But winning 40 to 60 golds or almost doubling its output two years ago, would not guarantee a better finish as far as the ranking is concerned. This may happen if no single country dominates the Games which offers 439 golds in 32 sports disciplines.