SINGAPORE – The Philippines went cold on Saturday in the 28th Southeast Asian Games as it failed to win a single gold with only a few days left before the curtains fell in this year’s edition of the biennial meet.
All the Filipinos could deliver on this lean day was a pair of silver courtesy of netters Ruben Gonzales and Jeson Patrombon and taekwondo jins Francis Agojo.
Gonzales and Patrombon lost to the Ratiwatana brothers Sanchai and Sonchat of Thailand, 6-4, 6-4, in the finals of the men’s doubles event in tennis, while Agojo bowed to Nguyen Van Duy of Vietnam, 23-9, in the finals of the men’s under 58kg.
Without a gold to show, the country remained in sixth place with 24 golds, 32 silvers, and 59 bronzes for sixth place, still 13 golds behind fifth-running Indonesia (37-47-62).
Pencak silat saw Alshamier Ibnohasim (men’s tanding Class A 45-50kg), Juanilio Ballesta (men’s tanding Class H 80-85kg), and Clyde Joy Baria (women’s tanding Class C 55-60kg) winning bronze medals in their respective events.
Other bronze medals were won by Levita Ronna Ilao in the women’s under 49kg event in taekwondo and Treat Huey and Francis Casey Alcantara in the men’s doubles semifinals, where the Filipinos bowed to the Ratiwatanas, 2-6, 7-6, 10-8.
The Philippine women’s volleyball team also ended its campaign on a losing note after a straight sets defeat to Vietnam.
Gold medalist Marella Salamat placed only eighth in the women’s mass start in cycling, while Avegail Rombaon finished sixth.
Meanwhile, Thailand finally overtook host Singapore on top of the medal tally with 76-73-59 output, with the host a close second at 74-64-94 as of posting time.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph
