Sports

Philippines Debacle in SEAG

By Ambrosio R. Villorente

The Philippines, with 41 gold medals, after 16 days of competition in Southeast Asian Games (SEAGs) placed sixth among the 10 nation participants: This is only 41 percent of the target golds of 100 before the games started in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
This 2007 performance of the Philippines is a complete turn-around of 112 golds won and the overall championship of the last (2005) SEA Games held in the Philippines as host. It is the second worst performance after her fifth place finish in the 1989, 1999 and 2001 games.
As to Thailand, she predicted 156 golds and yet got 183 gold medals. Malaysia projected to win 60 gold medals and got 67. Likewise, Vietnam estimated to win 60 gold medals and captured 64 Indonesia which was the champion in nine (9) of the 15 SEAGs got 56 gold medals and placed fourth overall.
A City State of Singapore with about 4 million people defeated the Philippines in the fifth place overall with 43 gold, 42 silver and 41 bronze medals at the end of the competition. While the Philippines’ total medal haul is 228 medals, only 41 of which are gold. This number of medals is the second biggest, next to Thailand’s 408 total medal but of lesser quality as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore have more gold.
In simple term, our athletes are of lesser quality compared to our Asian neighbors whose people are working honestly, hardly and devotedly.

MIGUEL MOLINA: Best Male Athlete

The best consolation for the Filipinos in the SEAGs is the selection of Miguel Molina as the best male athlete in the 24th SEAGs. He was awarded 330,000 Thai bath or about P446,000 cash. Molina, 23 is a swimming scholar at the University of California – Berkeley. He is 5 foot – 8 inches tall and weighs 77.22 kilograms Filipino swimmer who won 4 gold and a bronze medals.
Molina’s female counterpart is a Thai who also won 4 gold medals in women’s swimming. /MP