Depending on how the Filipino boxers fared last night against Thai opponents, and how the local bets would perform in the combat sports of arnis, muay and judo today in the face of the Vietnamese’ strength in pencak silat, bodybuilding, lawns balls and petanque, Team RP should get a measure of how much ammunition is required to repulse any threat.
With two days left in the biennial meet, RP continues to lead the way for the seventh straight day with 76 gold, 60 silvers and 61 bronzes before noon yesterday.
Three gold medals fell on the RP team’s lap by mid-afternoon – sailing, cycling, and archery.
German Paz ruled the Olympic class RS:X at the Subic Yacht Club, biker Alfie Catalan triumphed in the 4000-meter individual pursuit at the Amoranto Velodrome, and archer Amaya Paz took the gold in the women’s individual compound, beating Indonesian Yasmidar Hamid.
Silvers went to weightlifter Alfonsiste Aldanete behind Vietnam’s Yu Hong Phong in the 94 kg. event at the Bacolod Convention Center, and FM Oliver Dimakiling in blitz chess at the Tagaytay Convention Center.
But the Thais have gained a lot of ground as they braced to mount their biggest challenge yet.
Most of the final events on Day Seven, especially in boxing (14 gold), swimming (6), badminton (5) and arnis (4) were scheduled late in the afternoon and early evening, and were ongoing at press time.
Thailand, powered by its 12-gold harvest on Day Six, briefly dislodged Vietnam from second place with an overall count of 48 gold, 57 silvers, and 75 bronzes.
But the Vietnamese battled back behind chess and archery to recover lost territory by mid-day of Day Seven.
The reigning SEAG boxing team champion have six male fighters in the finals, four of them against Filipinos, and two more in the women’s championship at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod.
Vietnam, the 2003 champion, suffered a debacle on Day Six, failing to win a single gold and setting back its plans of mounting an aggressive assault in the last three days.
Seven sailing events went to Singapore, enabling the 1993 SEA Games host to overtake Malaysia in the medal standing.
Last-minute adjustment in schedules sharply raised from 45 to 69 the gold medals at stake yesterday, as furnished by national training director Michael Keon to the the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee media bureau.
And from an unprecedented 100 gold, tomorrow’s D-Day tally is down to 96, with pencak silat offering 13, gymnastics (8), muay (7), canoeing (6), bodybuilding (6), lawn balls (6), petanque (6), golf (4), archery (4), judo (4), shooting (3), tennis (3), traditonal boat race (3), arnis (2), athletics (2), billiards and snooker (2), bowling (2), softball (2), sepak takraw (2), beach volleyball (2), and weightlifting (2).
Keon, who stuck by his forecast that 92 gold medals should be enough to win the country the overall championship for the first time, stressed that boxing, arnis, muay, judo, and petanque "should deliver to ensure our success."
Meanwhile, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Lipatapanlop arrived yesterday morning and was to conduct a media conference at the International Press Center later in the afternoon.
With swirling stories of accusations from Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra that SEA Games judges and referees have been cheating Thai athletes out of the gold medal in subjective sports like taekwondo, gymnastics and fencing, his second in command was expected to delve on the matter more extensively.
A Thai sports official had initially apologized for PM Thaksin "getting taken out of context" by Thai reporters. But a government spokesman later on came out with remarks, basically repeating what Thaksin had reportedly said, fueling more counter-chargers from Philippine government officials.
Suwat was also expected to provide updates on preparations for the 24th SEA Games which Bangkok will be hosting.
In baseball, the RP Blu Boys routed Myanmar, 9-1, and looked headed to sweeping the gold medal at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, but the RP women’s softball squad absorbed a 3-2 loss to Thailand at the Marikina Sports Center.
