First to try to win Philippines’ first gold medal are taolu artists John Kiethley Chan and Norlence Catolico who will vie for the men’s Daoshu gold medal in wushu at 10:30am today, Manila time.
Four more wushu athletes are slated to battle for the gold medal in the afternoon’s sanda events after beating their respective opponents in their semifinal matches yesterday; while two wrestlers are set to wrestle their way from preliminaries up to the finals in the Greco-Roman event, also scheduled in the afternoon.
Wushu fighter Divine Wally will kick-off Philippines bid for the gold medal in the afternoon as she faces Vietnam’s Thi Chinh Nguyen in the women’s 48kg sanda event gold medal battle. She will be followed by Jessie Aligaga who will face Indonesia’s Dasmantua Simbolon in the men’s 48kg gold medal match.
Evita Elise Zamora sees action in the third sanda finals of the day against Vietnam’s Thu Hoai Nguyen in the women’s 52kg, then Dembert Arcita closes Philippine wushu’s campaign in the sanda events as he fights for the gold medal in the men’s 52kg event against Phithak Paokrathok of Thailand.
Two-time and defending Southeast Asian Games champion Margarito Angana, Jr. of Zamboanga City (55 kg.) and many-time national champion Noel Ma Bella Norada (60 kg.) are also set to wrestle their way to the finals today, as wrestling’s preliminary rounds kick off at 1:00pm today (2:30pm Manila time). Wrestling’s final matches are set late afternoon of today.
Apart from wushu and wrestling, Philippines’ Pencak Silat team composed of Jul Omar Abdulhakim, Jayrashley Kiram, Clyde Joy Baria and Nerlyn Huinda will also start their SEA Games campaign today, but no gold medals are at stake since only category matches are to be played today.
Also seeing action is women’s boxer Nesthy Petecio who will face Thailand’s Tassamalee Thongjan in the semifinal bout for the women’s 57kg category. Petecio is already assured of a bronze medal in the said event.
Philippine men’s and basketball teams are set to kick-off their SEA Games campaign also today.
Sinag Pilipinas, led by Marcus Douthit, faces Singapore in the third match of the day at 2 p.m.; while Perlas Pilipinas plays against tough opponent, Malaysia, at 11.30am Manila time.
Only Sinag Pilipinas games are said to be aired live via ABS-CBN’s studio 23.
In the next few days, Team Philippines SEA Games campaign will go full blast.
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