Sebastian, ex-SEAG hero, collapses

Jaime Sebastian, who won countless medals for the country in the field of weightlifting, was rushed to the hospital yesterday afternoon after he collapsed inside the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) office of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC).

Sebastian, once dubbed as Southeast Asia’s strongest man who hauled a total of 17 golds in his SEAG stints, was with friends at the Philta ticketing office when he suddenly fell ill. Witnesses said he took a seat, bowed his head, then started to tremble and fell to the ground.

An ambulance from the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine (PCSM) inside the vast sports complex was rushed to the scene and took the multi-titled athlete in the SEA Games and Air Force man to the nearby Manila Sanitarium.

No other details regarding his condition were available at presstime although it was an apparent case of heart failure. Sebastian, who was unconscious when he was carried to the ambulance, had suffered a stroke a year ago and has lost a lot of weight since then.

After hanging up his jersey, Sebastian coached the national team before retiring a couple of years back. He hit the headlines anew when he became vocal about the athletes’ worsening condition under the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Sebastian was even named president of the Athletes and Coaches Association of the Philippines (ACAP) and led a couple of rallies and protest actions against what they branded as "corrupt" sports officials.

Sebastian is no longer connected with the weightlifting association or ACAP but remained a regular fixture at the RMSC since his wife works as venue head of the athletes lounge within the Philta office. — Abac Cordero