PH pays tribute to Women’s Power

PHNOM PENH—It will be Women’s Power for Team Philippines as it flaunts an almost female athlete-dominated delegation during the parade of nations in the opening ceremony of the Cambodia 23nd Southeast Asian Games on Friday.

Alyssa Valdez, one of the most recognizable female athletes back home, arrived here at dawn, enough time for her to rest from a three-hour red-eye flight from Manila for the opening ceremony where she will be flagbearer for the second time after the 2015 Singapore Games.

“It’s a privilege and I am overwhelmed by this historic opportunity,” said Valdez, who flew in ahead of the women’s volleyball team that’s due here Saturday.

The opening ceremony starts at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. in Manila) and will be staged at the Morodok Techo Stadium, 60,000-seat structure built in the shape of a “sailing boat” with two sharp structures that reach almost 100 meters in height and surrounded by a moat in the ancient Angkor style.

Located in the outskirts of the Cambodian capital, the stadium was built in August 2017 and completed in August 2021 at a cost of $160 million.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino anticipates a warm appreciation for a Team Philippines pulling off a first in SEA Games opening ceremony history with the female- dominated contingent.

“This is a first time—a tribute to women athletes and to the gender equality program of the International Olympic Committee,” said Tolentino, who will be one of only two men who will join the parade besides Chef de Mission Chito Loyzaga.

Deputy Chef de Mission Leonora Escollante will also be in the parade. They will all be wearing elegant Francis Libirandesigned white barongs—which the Philippine fashion icon called “Araw”— over black pants. Joining the parade are swimming and diving’s Ariana Hanah Drake, Chloe Isleta and Miranda Cristina Renner; athletics’ Aira Teodosio, Jamela de Asis, Jelly Diane Paragile, Ginnah Malapit, Abegail Manzano, Melissa Escoton, Sarah Dequinan, Kristine Knott, Evelyn Palarbica and Natalie Uy; badminton’s Aira Mae Albo and Mikaela de Guzman; basketball’s Clare Castro, Janine Pontejos, Afril Bernardino, Ana Alicia Castillo and Angelica Surada; billiards’ Chezka Centino and Rubelyn Amit; and chess players (ouk chatrang) Janelle Frayna and Shania Mae Mendoza.

Also in the roster are cricket’s Lolita Olaguier and April Rose Saquilon; women’s football’s Sarina Bolden, Jessika Cowart, Quinley Campomanes and Inna Palacios; golf’s Rianne Malixi and Lois Kaye Go; jiujitsu’s Andrea Divina, Isabela Montana and Louann Gutierrez; Kun Bokator’s Mariane Mariano and Alyssa Kylie Mallari; obstacle race’s Sandi Menchi Abahan and Marites Nocyao; pencak silat’s Angel-Ann Singh, Shara Julia Jizmundo and Angeline Virina; and table tennis’ Rose Jean Fadol and Sendrina Andrea Balatbat.

Rising jiu-jitsu star delivers PH’s 1st gold

By Peter Atencio

PHNOM PENH—Rising jiu-jitsu fighter

Kaila Napolis stood up, foiled a knee bar and scored a vengeful 2-0 upset win against one of Cambodia’s brightest hopes in Jessa Khan to win the Philippines’ first gold medal in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here.

Napolis’ move frustrated Khan’s efforts to have her rival’s legs locked out behind her knee, allowing the 25-year-old Filipina to claim the women’s 49-kg ne-waza gold on Thursday at the OCIC Wedding Center at the Chroy Changvar District.

“Parang talo na kasi, 0-0. I tried my best to get a 2-0 score,” said Napolis, who waited four years to get back at Khan, considered Cambodia’s best jiu-jitsu athlete following her recent decision to turn professional.

Khan, who defeated Napolis in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, could not get a firm grip on her attack when the referee signalled a win in favor of the Filipina when the time was up.

“Natalo ako nu’ng 2019. Ang saya na nabawian ko siya sa bansa niya,” said Napolis, who swept her four-match, round-robin encounter.

A Cambodian-Mexican-American ju-jitsu practitioner, Khan was unbeaten before she confronted Napolis on the mat. She is considered a heroine here after winning Cambodia’s first-ever gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games via the sport of jiu-jitsu.

Napolis, who is coached by Allan Co, started her campaign with 50-0 beating of Vietnam’s Thi Huyen Dang, followed by a 3-0 win over Thailand’s Nuchanat Singchalad, and a 50-0 rout of Singapore’s May Yong Teh.

“Sobrang saya ko po, dahil nandiyan silang lahat,” Napolis, unmindful of the big, boisterous crowd cheering for Khan.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann had the wonderful privilege of awarding the country its first gold medalist in his first official major international function as chairman of the government sports body.

“I had the privilege of being in the medal ceremony for our first gold medal winner, Kaila. Congratulations once again,” Bachmann said. “I also want to congratulate Harvey and Karl for bringing in the first medal of Team Philippines. It is such a thrill to start counting medals and see how the hard work of our athletes are translating into these victories. Job well done!”

For his part, POC president Rep. Abraham Tolentino said: “One big congratulations for one of our female athletes breaking the ice for Team Philippines in these SEA Games.”

By Randy Caluag

NUTRITION is one issue that has become less of a concern for Filipino athletes doing battle in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

That’s because celebrity chef Bruce Lim has been given more influence in the preparation and serving of the food at the games’ dining hall.

Lim said he stays at “the background” with his seven-man team of Filipino chefs working 24/7 with their local counterparts “to make sure we serve the best food for all the athletes.”

The round-the-clock work, according to Lim, includes drafting the daily menus, preparing the ingredients and special requests from a particular group of athletes, plus the actual cooking.

Nutrition least of PH team’s concern in SEAG IN BRIEF

Lim said jiu-jitsu and other combat sports athletes from Team Philippines have requested low-sodium meals for their athletes, who are maintaining a desired weight in their divisions.

“All food we serve are halal certified, so they can serve everyone, especially Muslim athletes,” he said.

Putting a premium on the nutritional needs of Filipino athletes, POC president Rep. Abraham Tolentino tapped the services of Lim, born and raised in the US, and who became popular through the Asian Food Channel, where he has a show. Lim also served as an executive chef during the Philippines’ SEA Games hosting in 2019.

Here, he will be serving the 804 athletes seeing action in the Cambodia Games which will run until May 17.

Tolentino also announced that food and other nutritional needs of the athletes who don’t have access to the games’ Mess Hall will be delivered to their hotels or competition venues.

3x3 men’s squad seeks redemption

PHNOM PENH.—The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday revealed on their social media page the members of the Gilas Pilipinas Men 3x3 team for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

The team, composed of Almond Vosotros, Lervin Flores, Joseph Eriobu, and Joseph Sedurifa, will vie for redemption in this year’s Games.

The Philippines settled for the bronze medal in the men’s 3x3 last year after ruling the inaugural event in Manila in 2019.

A gold medalist in regular basketball in 2015 and 2017, Vosotros will vie for his third SEA Games gold, this time in the 3x3 where he has found a home. Vosotros and Flores form the core of the TNT squad that bagged the grand slam in the recent PBA 3x3 season.

Vosotros is no stranger to international competition, seeing action for Gilas in the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup in the last two years.

In 2021, Vosotros also joined forces with Flores and Eriobu in the Gilas 3x3 team that placed fourth after a 21-20 upset of Mongolia in the quarterfinal round where Vosotros hit the game-winning two pointer.

Floorball teams eye breakthrough medals

PHNOM PENH—The Philippines’ floorball teams shoot for breakthrough medals in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games after going empty-handed the last time the sport was included in the regional showpiece.

Philippine Floorball Association vice president Marco Ortiz expressed confidence in the country’s medal chances as the men’s and women’s squads wrap up their preparations for the floorball competitions set to start on May 11.

“Our expectation for this year is for us to grab that first SEA Games medal for both the men’s and women’s team,” said Ortiz in a mix of Filipino and English. “Any medal would be a success. Of course, we want the gold.”

In the 2019 SEA Games hosted by the Philippines, the men’s and women’s squads both finished fourth at home as Singapore and Thailand triumphed.

Thailand ruled the men’s division as Singapore and Malaysia settled for second and third, while Singapore reigned supreme in the women’s class where Thailand and Malaysia ended up as runners-up.

Ortiz hopes the addition of key players will get the teams – backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee –over the hump.

The men’s side will be reinforced by Kim Varga and Melvin Mendoza who are seeing action in the highest floorball league in Sweden, the country where the sport originated.

Jade Rivera, Filipina-Finnish Heidi Hyrylainen, and Filipina-Swedish Angelica Bengtsson will lead the women’s crew.

“Thailand and Singapore are our toughest foes. We’ll see. Our chances are good this year,” Ortiz said.

Obstacle teams stay on track for gold

PHNOM PENH—The Philippine men’s and women’s squads stayed on track for the two gold medals at stake in the relays event of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games Obstacle Sports competition at the Chroy Changvar Car Park here.

Led by former track and field star Mervin Guarte, the Filipinos took heat 1 of the 100-meter course in 25.857 seconds, ahead of Indonesia, which clocked 25.789 seconds in second place.

Guarte’s crew then slipped to second spot in the second heat after clocking 36.878, with Malaysia moving ahead at 26.197.

“Ginawa namin lahat ng puwede naming gawin. Doon sa monkey bars naging crucial sa start,” said the 31-year-old Guerte.

Guarte unravelled a new move in the monkey bars, finishing the 10-meters with just three grabs of the horizontal iron rods, instead of five, in order to quickly finish the challenge.

Guarte’s teammates Jayr de Castro Elias Tabac and Ahgie Radan then took turns in helping his team arrange a gold-medal duel with Malaysia. Peter Atencio