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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
RP never in doubt as SEA Games champion
MANILA -- The Philippines was accused of being a poor host, and in the end it probably could have been more hospitable--leading the gold medal standings throughout and dominating its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Deflecting conflicting criticisms from Thailand, overcoming some heated boxing decisions and rising to the expectations of their nation, Filipino athletes ruled supreme at the 23rd edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
With all but four medals decided by the final day of competition, the Philippines were never threatened at the biennial Games, claiming 113 gold medals, 26 more than its closest rival Thailand.
Vietnam, which topped the gold medal count when it hosted the last edition of the Games in 2003, finished with 71 golds.
At the Games closing ceremony, where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the games officially closed and the Southeast Asian Games flag was passed to 2007 host Thailand, Philippine Olympic Organizing Committee CEO Jose Cojuangco Jr. expressed his gratitude to the Filipino competitors.
"They performed beyond the resources and facilities given them," Cojuangco said.
The last time the Philippines hosted the Games in 1991, it won 91 gold, 62 silver and 84 bronze medals, but was a close second to Indonesia's 92-86-69.
Two years ago in Vietnam, the Philippines placed fourth in the medal race with 49-53-76.
While Filipino media, politicians and spectators heaped ever increasing praise on their athletes as the Games progressed, not all those watching were complimentary.
Thailand criticized Philippine organizers for being too serious about winning medals and not concerned enough with the sportsmanship of the Games.
When Filipinos--from President Arroyo down--challenged those claims, Thai officials spent the remainder of the Games denying they ever made the comments.
Elsewhere, East Timor won its first medal in a major international competition.
Francisca Varela of East Timor won a bronze medal in a women's anyo division of arnis, a Filipino martial art that emphasizes stick fighting. It gave the fledgling country its first medal of any color in any major Games. East Timor added two more bronze later in the same sport.
A former Indonesian province, East Timor competed at the Sydney Olympics in 2000--while still under United Nations administration--and again at Athens in 2004 when the country marched under its own flag. It did not win a medal in either Olympics.
In the Games pool, Singapore's Joscelin Yeo won six gold medals to make a record 40 in a career spanning seven SEA Games. The haul matched Yeo's six-gold total from Vietnam two years ago, when she was named top athlete of the Games.
Yeo's gold-total surpassed compatriot swimmer Patricia Chan's 39-gold record set over five Games.
Singapore won the overall pool title with a total of 13 golds, nine silvers and 11 bronze.
Olympic and world champion Pawina Thongsuk of Thailand marked her return to the 69-kilogram weightlifting class with a gold medal, her third international title in separate weight classes.
The boxing competition was always going to be a heated affair, featuring the much anticipated matchup of regional rivals Thailand and the Philippines. Thailand swept its finals against the Filipino boxers in 2003, and the hosts were confident of turning the tables on their own turf.
In the end, Thailand dominated the gold medals, but not without controversy.
Athens silver medalist Worapoj Petchkoom and former world champion Somjit Jongjohor won gold, leading Thailand to five gold medals out of nine.
The Philippines won four gold, but lost out in the final fight when a jeering home crowd pelted the ring with bottles, coins and food in protest while Filipino middleweight Reynaldo Galido was down on points against Thailand's Olympic bronze medalist Suriya Prasathinpimai.
The referee was forced to halt the fight after the first round, declaring the Thai the winner.
Philippine officials subsequently said Thailand did not deserve the Games men's boxing title, blaming bad officiating for its losses and asked the International Amateur Boxing Association to review the judging.
Vietnam's bid for Games soccer title was confounded by Thailand--again.
Teeratep Winothai scored three goals to lead Thailand to a 3-0 thrashing of Vietnam and its seventh straight Games soccer gold medal. Vietnam also lost the 2003 final 2-1 to Thailand in front of its home fans. Thailand has held the SEA Games soccer title for 12 years.
Indonesia was strongest in the badminton competition, sweeping the men's and women's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles. Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat, the defending Olympic and world singles champion, won his match in the men's team event but Malaysia won the gold 3-2 in that competition and in women's doubles.
Hidayat, carrying an undisclosed injury, did not play in any other Games events. (AP)
(December 6, 2005 issue)
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