AFTER nearly two weeks of grueling and heart-stopping games, Team Philippines closed things out strong as the country reached the 50-gold medal mark at the penultimate day of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand on Saturday.
The national team put up a valiant stand throughout the 10-nation biennial meet, finishing the competition in sixth place with 50 gold, 73 silver, and 154 bronze medals for a total of 277 medals.
It was a close race for the tournament’s fourth spot with the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore being neck-to-neck up to the last day of the regional meet. But despite a 9-gold surge in the penultimate day of competition, PH fell just two golds short of capturing the fifth spot from Singapore and seven golds behind the fourth-placed Malaysia. The nationals, though, capped the multi-sport event as the fourth-medalled country.
Host country Thailand reigned supreme with a record-breaking 232 golds on top of 154 silvers and 108 bronzes, winning a whopping total of 494 medals. Indonesia followed suit with 332 total, bagging 91 golds, 111 silvers, and 130 bronze medals. Then comes Vietnam, ranking third with a 276 medal haul.
Despite falling short of the 60-gold goal that was set by the Philippine Olympic Committee before the games started, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio proudly said that he is satisfied with the performance that the national athletes showed despite all the controversies and last-minute changes that they faced before and during their competition.
“We won in competitions that mattered most, and in the games that mattered most to them,” Gregorio stressed. “We beat them in their game; we weren’t surprised, but that only proves we could excel in Olympic competitions.”
It was not the result the country was hoping for, given that it was the largest-ever PH delegation sent to the SEA Games, comprising over 1,600 athletes, coaches, and officials, but there were plenty of silver linings and moments that the Philippine sports can look up to during the two-week slugfest.
The Gilas Pilipinas men’s and women’s basketball teams proved yet again their dominance in the region after all the things they went through, from roster changes, limited preparation time, and outrageous officiating.
It was also a stint to remember for the Philippine athletics team after dominating the tournament with five gold medals. Also, the triathlon squad that swept the team relay series.
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala finally clinched her first SEA Games gold, cementing her place at the top of women’s tennis in the region. Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial is just overpowering everyone on his way to his fifth gold medal. And EJ Obiena is making everyone remember who is the king of pole vaulting in Southeast Asia once again.
Making waves for the country’s swimming team, Kayla Sanchez put the world on notice with her being the country’s most medalled athlete, winning three golds and five silvers in swimming.
Extending their mastery in the biennial meet, Blu Girls women’s softball team ruled the tournament for the 11th consecutive time while the Blue Boys reclaimed their title for a complete Philippine sweep in softball.
One of the wins to remember in this 33rd edition of the Games was the Filipinas’ historic win as the team ended the long-standing medal drought of the country in football, bagging the women’s football championship.
In the same atmosphere, Bernadeth Pons, Sisi Rondina, Dij Rodriguez, and Sunnie Villapando of Alas Pilipinas also bannered the country’s pride as they brought home its first-ever women’s beach volleyball title after dethroning the eight-time defending champion Thailand on their home soil.