ASIAD Performance Not A Gauge for Next Year's SEA Games
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 05 Sep 2018
The Philippines might have, indeed, surprised everyone with its unexpected four-gold medal harvest in the recently-ended 18th Asian Games, three times better than its athletes? solitary first place finish four years ago.
The Filipino campaigners? couple of silver medals and 15 bronze medals brought home from Jakarta, Indonesia sure improved their predecessors? 22nd overall standing in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea to 19th
But it is doubted whether this can be made as gauge in the country?s bid for the overall championship in the 30th Southeast Asian Games it is hosting next year contrary to beliefs of many sports leaders.
That 2018 Asiad medal production landed the Philippines sixth among Southeast Asian nations that took part behind, Indonesia, 31-24-43 gold-silver-bronze; Thailand, 11-16 -46 ; Malaysia, 7-13-1; Vietnam, 4-16-18; and Singapore, 4-4-14.
If the SEA Games are to be held anytime this year and if the results of the last Asiad will serve as measure, the Philippines looks hard-pressed to even duplicate its sixth place finish fashioned out in Malaysia two years ago when the host country outclassed the opposition with a total haul of 145 gold medal, 73 more than closest pursuer Thailand?s 72.
The Philippines could only manage 24 gold medals then, 14 shy if Indonesia?s 38, 33 short of Singapore?s 57 and 34 of Vietnam?s 58. The Indonesians, with their 31-gold fourth place Asiad windup can more than double that figure comes the 2019 SEA Games.
The Philippines? Well, it can possibly repeat its Asian Games gold medal win in weightlifting, golf and skateboarding and even matched its 24-gold triumph in Kuala Lumpur, but that could only bring the Filipinos to no more than 28 comes the Manila Games.
Even Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas, who assumed only early this year, has expressed doubts that the mere hosting of the quadrennial conclave guarantees the country of winning, too, the overall championship.
?I realized that despite the improved performance, there are so many things that we still need to do,? Vargas was quoted by media at the close of the quadrennial conclave.
?By all indications, the Asian Games was a success for Team Philippines?total medal count improved, gold count quadrupled,? Vargas said. ?The ranking went up from 22nd to 19th, although short of the goal of 15th, but still acceptable.?
Vargas admitted that to aim for the top spot next year will be ?very difficult, citing Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia all finished ahead of the Philippines in the last Asiad as well as in the 2017 SEA Games.
Vargas said it will depend on the sports that will be included in the SEA Games program. The organizing committee announced an initial list of 30 sports earlier this year, but more events can be added.
The POC top honcho stressed that the Philippines needs to perform better in athletics and aquatics, which are medal-rich events.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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