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By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Filipino athletes from billiards, athletics and jiujitsu are leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam Wednesday in time for the opening ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Video games on Thursday.
Former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes and Rubilen Amit, reigning US 8-ball Open titlist Carlo Biado and perennial SEA Video games gold-medal contender Chezka Centeno are checking in previous to the opening rites the next day at 8 p.m. on the My Dinh Stadium on the Vietnamese capital.
Becoming a member of them are groups from athletics, bowling, biking MTB, esports, and jiujitsu led by world-renowned grapplers Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez.
“To this point, so good. The arrivals have been occurring easily. We’re getting ready for the opening ceremony and have been repeatedly offering help to our athletes,’’ stated Philippine Sports activities Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the nation’s chef de mission to the Video games.
Hurdler Clinton Bautista, javelin thrower Melvin Calano, decathlete Aries Toledo, marathoner Christine Hallasgo and heptathlete Sarah Dequinan are all upbeat about their probabilities to retain their SEAG gold medals earlier than leaving Manila.
Making up the 50-man athletics workforce certain for the Vietnamese capital are medalists Mark Harry Diones, Janry Ubas, Francis Medina, Edgardo Alejan Jr., Anfernee Lopena, Eloiza Luzon, and Marestella Sunang.
FIRST GOLD
Some competitions have already begun, with Malaysia profitable the primary gold when diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri triumphed within the ladies’s one-metre springboard.
These Video games have been initially scheduled to happen in November however have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With infections falling closely since a peak of greater than 200,000 a day in March, spectators in venues — they don’t even need to take a Covid check — will probably be a distinction to final yr’s largely fan-free Tokyo Olympics.
Solely final week the 2022 Asian Video games have been postponed due to the virus. The multisport, Olympic-sized showpiece had been scheduled to happen within the Chinese language metropolis of Hangzhou in September.
The SEA Video games are centered on Hanoi with motion additionally happening in 11 close by northern provinces.
Cyclists Ariana Dormitorio, John Derrick Farr and Eleazar Barba Jr. can even start their hunt for medals in addition to bowlers Merwin Tan, Lara Posadas, and Alexis Sy.
Athletes from archery, seashore volleyball, dancesport, esports, sepak takraw are set to depart Thursday in time for the opening ceremony.
The PH males’s basketball workforce, made up of PBA stars Junemar Fajardo and siblings Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, is scheduled to reach Friday together with the ladies’s basketball squad and groups from boxing, muay, taekwondo, wrestling, and taking pictures.
Occasions which have already began are diving, kickboxing, handball, chess, soccer, futsal, pencak silat, kurash, rowing and kickboxing.
Competitions will take a break Thursday to provide approach to the opening ceremony earlier than motion resumes in badminton, basketball 3×3, fencing, golf, creative gymnastics, petanque, sepak takraw, desk tennis, tennis, indoor volleyball, wushu, bodybuilding and e-sports on Friday.
The Philippines search to retain its general championship title after harvesting 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals within the earlier version that the nation hosted in 2019. (With studies from AFP)
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