NAKHON RATCHASIMA – The Philippines struck gold in various fronts, from the Main Stadium to the fencing, dancing and billiard halls to the southern gulf of Thailand, accounting for 11 in all to jump into fourth place overall on the second full day of competitions in the 24th Southeast Asian Games.
The athletes of Go Teng Kok accounted for three in the afternoon, Filipino pairs had two in dance sport, while fencing claimed two individual golds in separate venues here.
At the Pattaya resort in southern Thailand, 400 kilometers from here, the national rowers retained the title in the men’s double sculls while the triathlon association of Tom Carrasco made good ITS prediction of winning the gold in the new event of duathlon.
As dusk fell, the 9-ball doubles team of Marlon Manalo and Antonio Gabica handily won the gold medal, beating Singapore, 11-6, while Miguel Molina ruled the 200m individual medley as expected in the Aquatic Center of the Main Stadium.
The 11-gold production pushed the Philippines from fifth to fourth overall, with a haul of 14 golds, counting two in swimming and one in cycling from the previous two days.
However, Thailand made a virtually unbridgeable gap this early with a gold-silver-bronze output of 43-51-26, leading by 20 golds second placed Vietnam (23-10-26) and surprise third Singapore, which had 16-13-11.
Arniel Ferrera raised his SEAG norm in the hammer throw with a record of 60.98 meters, while Rene Herrera, running with a pair of old shoes from the 2005 SEA Games, completed an unchallenged run for the gold in the 3,000m steeplechase. Marestela Torres made one bold jump on her last and final attempt to beat a Thai to the gold in the long jump.
The athletics’ golden performance came with the silver medal finish of Midel Dique in the 800m run.
The national fencers, short in training but long in talent, claimed the individual gold medals in the foil and epee event at the fencing stadium.
Emerson Segui, the 2005 SEAG gold medalist, defeated Thai Nontapat Panchan in the finals to win the foil event. He reached the finals at the expense of compatriot Rolando Canlas, who settled for the bronze.
Michelle Bruzola overpowered Helene Orendain in the all-Filipino final of the women’s epee.
Joanna Franquelli lost to eventual gold medalist, Vietnamese Nguyn Chia Le Dung, and settled for the silver.
In the dancesport competitions at the Vongchavalikul University Emmanuel Reyes and Maria Rosete claimed gold medals – in the standard tango and standard-quicks step, both at the expense of two Thai partners who settled for the silver and bronze.
In Pattaya, the durable pair of Benjie Tolentino and Jose Rodriguez retained their crown in the men’s double sculls in rowing. Early in the morning, Ryan Mendoza proved he is Asia’s new duathlon champion by winning the gold in the 10k run-40k bike-5k run event, held for the first time in the SEA Games. He had a clocking of 1:50:19.09, ahead of Thai Ammat Srichat (2:03.14.93) and compatriot August Benedicto (2:03:16.09).
At the Aquatic Sports, Molina notched his second gold medal by ruling his pet event, the 200m individual medley in 2:05.00. He won the 400IM a day earlier.