Philippines Needs More Work To Excel In SEAG

Philippines Needs More Work To Excel In SEAG

Medal Tally In The SEAG After 12-Day Competition In Singapore.
COUNTRY	G	S	B	TOTAL
THA	95	83	69	247
SIN	84	73	102	259
VIE	73	53	60	186
MAS	62	58	66	186
INA	47	61	74	182
PHI	29	36	66	131
MYA	12	26	31	69
CAM	1	5	9	15
LAO	0	4	25	29
BRU	0	1	6	7
TLS	0	1	1	2

In the midst of a blazing fireworks and kaleidoscope of visual treats, athletes, officials and fans celebrated the triumph of man and the human spirit in a final get together that brought  down the curtains on the 28th Southeast Asian Games.

Fireworks lit up the night sky with drops of multi colored hues above the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay of the Lion City in a final “celebration of the extraordinary”, the theme of the 12-day sports competition.

Athletes, who played in heated hostilities across 36 sports for 402 gold medals, gathered together in their respective sports. They hugged each other, signed autographs, exchanged uniforms and took selfies together inside the track and field stadium, main venue inside the Singapore Sports Hub.

The Philippine contingent, reduced to a group of about 60 who were led by chef de mission Julian Camacho, joined the closing ceremonies where the host city turned over the SEA Games flag to the next host Malaysia. The Sacred Flame was extinguished which ended another great and happy chapter of the SEA Games.

The Philippines, headed off to Manila with only a handful of the athletes that included the cadet players from the collegiate leagues that gave the Philippines a proud exit from the Games with a 72-64 victory over Indonesia in the gold medal match of men’s basketball.

The final gold gave the Philippines an official tally of: gold-29: silver-36: and bronze-36 medals, good for sixth place finished among the 11 nation contenders. This improved on the Philippines’ seventh place in Myanmar two years ago. It matched the gold medal effort that same year.

Critics were quick to demand a full-dress probe into another “humiliating debacle”. Nevertheless, Camacho had already made the pronouncement he was “overly satisfied” with the performance of the 465-member contingent that competed in 35 of the 36 sports.

“I am proud of everyone of Team Philippines. I am proud of all our athletes,” said Camacho, who is also head of the National Wushu Federation. “There are performers and non-performers, there are achievers and non-achievers, but all of our athletes did their best in these Games.”

Thailand, whose 93-83-68 came out number one, the champion, on the strength of a strong, continuing program that goes down to the very roots. Tiny Singapore placed second. She played the role of gracious host: awed, inspired and cheered by its citizens with the eloquence of their feats in swimming.

Vietnam with its 73-53-60 medals placed third. Fourth with 62-58-66 was Malaysia which displayed undisputed supremacy in diving, archery, bowling, rhythmic, squash and cycling. Malaysia shared the limelight in sailing.

Indonesia, the former perennial champion before Thailand rose to power in 1997, was fifth and far ahead of the Philippines with 47-61-74.

The Philippines finished sixth, at the middle of the standings, proud of the achievements of their boxers who outfought the toughest Olympics-bound Thai champions, tamed the game Singaporeans and their boisterous fans and subdued the warriors of Vietnam, which sowed fear anew in the other combat sports-wushu, taekwondo, pencak silat, fencing, boxing – and in track and field, swimming and gymnastics.

The boxers’ dominating show was matched only by the all-conquering triathletes and Blu Boys and Blu Girls in softball. The men’s basketball team prevails over the gutsy Indonesians. /MP