BACOLOD CITY— Filipino lifter Alfonsito Aldanete should have been given a gold medal, and not a silver in the 94 kg. event in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.
If only organizers can award medals for gallantry, nobody would have come close to Aldanate’s feat.
Unknown to many, Aldanete figured in a freak motorcycle accident a few weeks before the SEAG and he even contemplated of not competing anymore owing to the injuries he sustained.
"Naaksidente ako at naisip ko nga na hindi na lang ako sasali," said Aldanete, 32, the left side of his face and his arm still bearing bruises.
Despite the mishap, Aldanate decided to join and on Saturday, he finished second behind gold medal winner Khunchai Nuchpum of Thailand. The bronze went to Vu Hong Phong of Vietnam.
Nuchpum lifted 151 kg. in the snatch and did 180 kg. in the clean and jerk, while Aldanete did 132 in the snatch and 171 in the clean and jerk. The Vietnamese posted 130 (snatch) and 167 (clean and jerk).
Aldanate, who took a bronze in the 1997 SEAG in Jakarta, had also seen action in the 1995 (Chiang Mai) and 2003 (Vietnam) editions of the Games.
"Nag-cramps ako sa Vietnam," said Aldanate, who bared that this could be his last SEAG.
In what could probably be the last time he wears the tricolors, Aldanate said he did not want to disappoint the Filipinos by not giving his best shot.
"Dito kasi sa atin ginawa kaya ayaw nating mapahiya," he said.
In the first day of competition at the Bacolod Convention Center, Cecilia Atilano snared the bronze medal in the women’s 63 kg., finishing behind Wandee Kameaim of Thailand, the 2004 Athens Olympics bronze medalist and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thiet.
A medal is also being expected from veteran Alvin delos Santos, who competes in the 105+ kg. event on Sunday.
