SINGAPORE—As the 28th Southeast Asian Games winds down, prospect of Team Philippines surpassing its total gold medal output in the biennial meet two years ago is becoming even slimmer.
With three days of competition left here in the Lion City, the Filipinos are still far from the early projection given by sports officials of bagging around 40 to 60 gold medals out of the total 464 athletes competing for the country.
Worst, even the output Team Philippines won in Myanmar in 2013 of 29 golds is in danger of not being surpassed with only a few more events to be disputed.
Of the remaining Philippine entries still competing, only Gilas Pilipinas cadets is sure of winning the gold in men’s basketball, while the rest is still up in the air.
Treat Huey and Denise Dy will go for the gold medal in the mixed doubles, while Dy joins Katharina Lehnert in the women’s doubles finals slated at the Kallang Tennis Court.
But both Filipino bets are up against powerhouse Thailand, which will actually go for a sweep of all the tennis events on Sunday.
Amaya Paz-Cojuangco, the current Asia Cup champion, will be gunning for a gold medal in archery when she competes in the women’s individual compound against a Malaysian foe.
Two-time Le Tour de Filipinas champion Mark Galedo is also entered in the cycling mass start road race where he is expected to figure well in the race.
Pauline Lopez and Samuel Morrison will carry the country’s hopes in the final day of taekwondo.
The Philippines still has entries in bowling, rowing, squash, badminton, and water polo in the final few days although chances of winning a gold is a little remote.
Source: Reuben Terrado of Spin.ph
