BUOYED UP by his recent triple-gold showing in the just-concluded Southeast Asian Games, Filipino rower Benjie Tolentino now eyes a more challenging goal of bringing home the gold, this time in the Asian Games set on Dec. 2006 in Doha, Qatar.
But he admits the odds are tougher than the one he faced during the SEA Games, which is why winning the Asiad gold won’t be an easy task.
"Mas malalaki at malalakas ang mga kalaban sa Asian Games, kaya nga nung Tuesday pa nagbalik na kami sa practice eh," Tolentino told the Bulletin.
The 31-year-old Bacoor, Cavite native bagged the gold medals in the lightweight single sculls, the men’s pair (rowing) and the lightweight men’s double scull.
Tolentino knows the Chinese and the Japanese, who are Asian powers in rowing, will throw their full weight in next year’s quadrennial games, but he won’t go down without fighting.
"Although malalakas ang mga Chinese at Japanese, di rin sila makaka-sigurado sa Asian Games kasi instead na 2,000 meters, pinaikli sa 1,000 meters yung sukat sa double scull. So ibig sabihin, patas na ang labanan dahil parang sprint na lang yan instead ng kagaya sa 2,000 meters na kailangan ng matinding pacing," explained Tolentino.
He believes proper conditioning is a must if the Philippines hopes to come up with a golden performance in the Asian Games.
"Kaya nga nag-spend ako ng at least extra na two hours sa amin sa Cavite, sa may Island Cove. Mahirap ang training sa La Mesa Dam pero para din naman sa amin iyon at sa bansa," he added.
He said he hopes to cultivate his month-long partnership with Alvin Amposta in lightweight men’s double scull going into the Asian Games.
"Wala pang one month kami halos nag-practice ni Alvin before ng SEA Games kasi last-minute replacement lang ako dahil yung original na partner niya eh tinanggal. Nakakatuwa lang at nanalo kami ng gold," he said.
Tolentino is looking forward to improve his skills when they hopefully train abroad next year.
For now, he will enjoy the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s bonus Hong Kong trip to the SEA Games gold medalists from Dec. 19-21 as well as spend the Holiday Season with his family before returning to training.
