Filipinos resume hunt for Asiad glory

DOHA — A rather lean, quiet day in this cool capital city is what’s up for the Philippine contingent still in search of its very first medal of any color with only few athletes competing in the fourth day of action in the 15th Asian Games here today.

Shut out in the singles and doubles events, the RP bowlers composed of the country’s top players try again in the trios as action on the lanes resumes at 9 a.m. (2 p.m. Manila time) with the men’s competitions at the Qatar Bowling Centre. Women’s play is set at 4:30 p.m.

No roster has yet been submitted and flashed on the Games website but coach Bong Coo could opt for the troika of Liza del Rosario, Cecille Yap and Liza Clutario, who teamed up to pocket the World Championship crown in Kuala Lumpur in 2003.

Yap could only finish in 22nd place in the singles Sunday, the best the fancied Filipino side could churn out while Biboy Rivera, the reigning World Masters champion, placed ninth in the men’s competition where four-time World Cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno wound up in dismal 41st place.

"I hope they’ll be able to pick up their games and settle down in the trios and in the team of five events," said Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. upon learning of the men’s bowlers struggle late Sunday.

"They just have to get the feel of it and that would be it," he added.

But it would take more than touch and luck for the RP bowlers to bounce back as the opposition seemed to have already built their momentum heading into the trios today, the team of five tomorrow and the masters on Sunday.

Whatever, hopes remain high for the team with Rivera and Chester King running fifth after two blocks of the doubles events at presstime.

Expectations are also high for Delfin Boholst, the second to last of the eight RP bets seeing action in the boxing competitions beginning at 2 p.m. at the Aspire Hall 5.

But the 23-year-old Gingoog City native will be facing a tough opponent in Korean Shin Myung Hoon, a power-punching fighter from Kwang Ju in one of the featured bouts in the 64-kg category.

Two victories by flyweight Violito Payla and featherweight Anthony Marcial sent them into the quarterfinal round with Godfrey Castro, Joan Tipon and Genebert Basadre set to plunge into action in their respective divisions at presstime. Frances Joven fights last against Angkhan Chomphuphuang of Thailand in a welterweight bout tomorrow.

The RP snooker team of Leonardo Andam and Alvin Punzalan also takes on their Iraq rivals in a round of 32 match while the hapless RP baseball squad, which dropped its first three games in blowout fashions, takes on powerhouse Taiwan starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Al Rayyan baseball and softball venue.

The Philippines will also see action in judo as Nancy Quillotes fights in the 48kg category at 2 p.m. at the Khalifa Stadium, in soft tennis through Petrona Bantay and Belen Dante in the women’s singles and Michael John Enriquez and Orlando Silvoza II in the men’s side.

At the Hamad Aquatic Center, Ernest Dee and Denjylie Cordero compete in the morning heats of the 50m fly and 100m breaststroke, respectively. Others seeing action are Ryan Arabejo (400m free), Eric a Totten (50m-free), Arabejo (100m backstroke), and the men’s 4x100m free relay team.