Pinoys take 4 golds; Phl doomed at 6th

PALEMBANG – The national baseball team completed the Philippines’ dominance in softball and baseball, a cyclist came back to reclaim a lost crown, 21 rowers from the distant land of Java paddled in full force to settle an old score and the men’s basketball squad took the gold with little opposition.

Their performance glittered at various hours of the day and at different circumstances.

The Phl batters hacked out a 2-0 win over host Indonesia in a final delayed by the rains. They could have won the game and the gold after the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead if the rains persisted and rendered the field unplayable.

The rule awards the win to the leader if the game is called off.

The team, formed at the last hour by a third party – the PSC-POC task force – following leadership issues in the association, earned its second SEAG gold, winning the first in 2005 and placing second to Thailand in 2007.

Alfie Catalan ruled the 400m individual pursuit in 2005 in Manila and again in Thailand in 2007 but it took four years before he could get back to the scene to defend his crown.

Catalan was one of 12 riders denied participation in the 2009 SEA Games because he was not issued a license to compete, a victim of intramurals in the cycling federation.

Bucking the headache and years of frustration, Catalan wheeled back into the game and gave his warring leaders back home the only gold from the 17-man team.

At the serene Cipule Lake in Bekasi, West Java, Filipino rowers matched the Burmese power with the combined muscle of 21 rowers and gained the gold in the 500m race with a silver from its 10-man crew and a bronze from a protest.

Some members of that gold medal team were from the world championships but were outcast by the POC-recognized organization. In the end, their love for the sports and country became their source of courage to notch the gold.

They got the bronze after organizers reversed the decision disqualifying the Filipinos in the 1000m 12-man crew event.

As the lights dimmed in all stadiums in Palembang and Jakarta, coach Norman Black’s cagers went through the formality of winning the gold, pulverizing Thailand, 85-57, to cap its one-sided show of basketball power.

Finally, the official SEA Games website made the mistake official. It removed the Philippine bridge mixed pair from the list of gold medal winners, correcting an encoding entry that stayed in the medal chart for two days before action was taken.

With the correction the Philippines had a medal haul of 27-45-63 counting the four gold medals won so far.

Virtual overall champion Indonesia had 144-119-110, winning majority of the gold medals and securing at least a bronze in almost every event, while defending champion Thailand firmed up its position at second with 90-77-101.

The third position is also all but conceded to Vietnam with 80-80-85, and Malaysia is also secure at fifth with 51-44-66.

Despite the day’s haul, the Philippines remained at sixth, doomed to that position for the second time since the 2007 SEA Games.

Singles gold medalist Frederick Ong, leader after two blocks, lost to Adriani Ang of Malaysia, 431 (206-225) -390 (201-189) in the step ladder finals and took the silver in the men’s Masters.

Adriani, who was second after two blocks, outfought fellow Malaysian Mohd Siyafiq Ridhwan, 201-183, in the first part of the stepladder finals to advance to the gold medal match against Ong.