Asian Beach Games: Pinoy bets stay in contention

MUSCAT — Ridgely Balladares and Richly Magsanay managed to keep pace with the stiff competition in hobie 16 open and remained within breathing distance of the medal circle while other compatriots either failed to make progress or even lost grip going into the final day of sailing events in the 2nd Asian Beach Games here. The other Filipino tandem in hobie racing —Joel Mejarito and Rommel Chavez — dropped as fast as they rose Saturday afternoon after a fifth and eighth place finish in races 7 and 8. They found themselves back to sixth after soaring to a tie for third a day before. Balladares and Magsanay wound up sixth in race 7, but fought their way back to fifth overall with a runner-up finish in race 8 to keep their medal chances alive in the final two races Monday afternoon (around 5 p.m. Manila time). RSX expert Reneric Moreno did not move with an eighth-place performance in race 7, and must transcend himself Monday for races 8, 9 and 10, even as Fang Zhennan of China poised himself for a runaway golden act in the event. Techno racer John Harold Madrigal slumbered at ninth overall in a field of 11 entries with another forgettable race 7 show, while laser open campaigner Rubin Cruz placed 11th and 12th. "Our boys are not getting the breaks," said Chef de Mission Jeff Tamayo, although he's aware that the size of the PHL delegation (23 athletes in seven events) does not present major opportunities for medal gains. In woodball, Filipinos Teodulfo Villaflor and Harold Hanz Ortega will still play in the 7th round, but will be in the last two flights, indicating poor scoring in the previous phases of the event, which Thailand continued to dominate. PHL’s female regu team faces the best and the brightest of the field today when it plays Indonesia in its first match and Thailand next in a pair of tough assignments. The Filipinas’ last two games will immediately determine where they stand in the five-team field that includes China and Vietnam. The only two remaining events for the Filipinos are triathlon and wakeboarding. RP's triathletes are Marion Kim Manrobang, Philip Jurolan, Lea Coline Langit, Nikko Bryan Huelgas and Daniel Garry Brown, while the wakeboarders are Maria Samantha Bermudez, Carlo de la Torre and Robert John Caratti, who has been training in Australia. Only 18 of 45 Olympic Council of Asia member countries have won medals thus far, with Oman setting the pace with 5-2-3, Thailand at second with 4-0-2, China third with 3-2-1, Iraq fourth (2-3-1), and Indonesia fifrth (2-1-2). Syria, India, Kazakshtan and Malaysia each have one gold medal while Vietnam has four silver and two bronze medals to complete the top ten roster. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV