PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The Philippines went on a rampage again in obstacle course with two gold medal finishes in the men’s and women’s team relay while Kim Mangrobang prevailed in duathlon as competitions in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games intensified Sunday.
There were also big wins in karate and soft tennis as the Philippines continued to shore up its medal tally, something Philippine Sports Commission chairperson Richard Bachmann describes as a good sign given that a lot of the country’s top gold entries have yet to strut their stuff.
Mangrobang, 31, clocked one hour, four minutes and 25.3 seconds to bag her second straight gold in the event and will aim for her fifth in triathlon on Monday in the city of Kiep.
The triumphs posted by Mervin Guarte, Ahgie Radan, Elias Tabac and Jay-R De Castro in men’s event and Milky Tejares, Mecca Cortizano, Sandi Abahan and Marites Nosier in women’s meant a sweep of all four golds in obstacle race.
Jamie Lim also joined the fray by topping the women’s karate -61 kg kumite while Bien Zoleta and Princess Catindig stood out in soft tennis women’s doubles.
Lim, daughter of basketball legend Samboy Lim, tripped host bet Vann Chakriya, 3-1, to regain the SEAG title before a highly-partisan crowd.
It was a memorable performance for Lim, who bombed out early in Hanoi last year.
“It feels good to win again,” said Lim, who took a break from her studies in the United Kingdom to take part here.
Lim’s production was karate’s second gold following Sakura Alforte’s triumph in the individual kata on Saturday.
“It looks like we are getting there. We are getting all these golds so far without the likes of (pole vaulter) EJ (Obiena), and (gymnast) Carlos Yulo. So, I hope the trend of the gold and silver medals will continue,” Philippine Sports Commission chairperson Richard Bachmann said.
Apart from Obiena and Yulo, expected to beef up the Philippine medal tally in the coming days are Elreen Ando and Vanessa Sarno of weightlifting, who will be flying from South Korea after their Asian Weightlifting Championships stint this 3 to 13 May.
Both Gilas Pilipinas and Gilas Women’s teams are also heavy favorites to win.
Kurt Barbosa of taekwondo is also expected to get another gold medal, a possibility that excites Bachmann no end.
Meanwhile, action in the ring heats up Monday when Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam and Paul Julyfer Bascon aim for semifinals berths Monday.
Paalam takes on Malaysian Daeloniel McDelon in the bantamweight category while Bascon, 26, making his debut in the games, battles Vietnamese Thanh Dat Vu in the light welterweight class.
Both fighters will go into the quarterfinals armed with convincing wins, with Paalam dominating Cambodian Sao Rangsey 5-0 and Bascon also humbling Myanmar’s Aung Soe Moe via the same score in the preliminary round last Saturday.
Paalam said he is comfortable fighting now in the bantamweight category since winning the Asian Boxing Confederation Men’s Elite Boxing Championships’ gold medal last year in Jordan although returning in the flyweight division remains easy for him.
“I am really comfortable in the bantamweight class but there’s no trouble returning to the flyweight (division),” said Paalam, Bascon, a native of Panabo, Davao del Norte, said his next foe is a tough assignment, “that’s why I need to be consistent and aggressive.”
