Tough luck for PHL in Asiad's penultimate day

GUANGZHOU — Tough luck continued to hound the Philippines on the penultimate day of the 16th Asian Games as a medical emergency forced grandmaster Joey Antonio to take the first flight out Friday and miss the finals of chess team play against host China. Severe pain and discomfort due to inflammation of the mastoids cut short Antonio’s win streak on board two, which John Paul Gomez had to assume and give board three to Darwin Laylo, while GM Wesley So remained at board one and GM Eugene Torre at board four. In the end, China outclassed the Filipinos, 3.5-.5, with So salvaging a draw in the finale between the top-ranked team and the number 6 seed of the tournament. Both the medical team of PHL and doctors of the Games’ polyclinic recommended an immediate outpatient surgery for Antonio, who was clearly disturbed Thursday night when he sought the permission of delegation officials to rush home and seek appropriate medical attention. “Talagang hindi ko na kaya. Hindi na ko makapag-isip ng maayos dahil sa sakit," said Antonio who was still up at midnight to seek the assistance of team physician Alejandro Pineda. Given a dose of pain killers, Antonio still felt so uncomfortable and was squirming in pain when he left for the airport. The silver from chess is the fourth for the Philippines, which also nailed three gold and nine bronze medals, placing the country at 18th overall among 36 medal-winning nations. The Olympic Council of Asia, which runs the Asiad, has 45 member nations. Looking closer, PHL also ranked only fifth best among Southeast Asian nations that participated, after Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, a reconfirmation of its standing in the smaller league of the Southeast Asian Games last held in Laos in 2009. Its gold medals came from bowler Engelberto Rivera, billiards 9-ball king Dennis Orcollo, and boxer Rey Saludar. Other silver medals were delivered by Miguel Luis Tabuena in individual golf, Annie Albania in women’s boxing, and Orcollo’s bunk mate and final victim, Warren Kiamco. Bronze medalists were the dancing pair of Ronnie Steeve Vergara and Charlea Lagaras (2), taekwondo jins Thsomlee Go, John Paul Lizardo, Kirstie Elaine Alora and Paul Romero, wushu’s Mark Eddiva, boxer Victorio Saludar, and bowler Frederick Ong in singles. Scoring only seven points in the final quarter against Qatar’s 21, the Philippine basketball team lost, 71-81, landing sixth among 15 teams. It was a performance which basketball-crazy Filipinos would rather forget, being the worst in two decades. China and Korea dispute the basketball championship Friday night. Diver Sheila Mae Perez was in fine shape on Friday for a bronze finish in the 3-m springboard, but a spectacular 2 1/2 somersault and pike final attempt by Macau’s Sut Ian Choi pushed her out of the medal picture with a 272.40. China’s He Zi and Shi Tngmao finished 1-2 with 366.90 and 366.90 while Choi had 286.5. In rhythmic gymnastics, day two was no different for United States-based Maria Victoria Alicia Recinto, who had 85.750, good for 16th among 18. The event was won by Kazakhstan’s Anna Alyabyeva with an imposing 111.450. For the second time in a row, the PHL sepak takraw team was humbled, this time by Myanmar, 0-2. With only one more attempt left out of a total six Friday night, PHL’s Danilo Fresnido was a town off the pace, 10th of 14, with 70.35 against Japan’s Yukifumi Murakami, who had a best throw of 83.15. The Games come to a close Saturday, returning to where it all started —Haixinsha Stadium by the Pearl River — with a simple closing ceremony to be attended by a handful of the original 188 Filipino athletes left in the athletes’ village. - KY/RCJ, GMANews.TV