Goodbye Malaysia; Hello, Philippines

By

 BusinessMirror

 -

AUGUST 31, 2017

In Photo: Foreign Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano waves the Southeast Asian Games Federation flag after receiving it from Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Jose Cojuangco Jr. and outgoing SEA Games Federation President Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar of Malaysia during the closing ceremony on Wednesday night at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur

THE 29th Southeast Asia (SEA) Games Kuala Lumpur has officially concluded in a colorful and vibrant ceremony as hosts Malaysia celebrate in style the 145-gold medal feat in the region’s biggest sporting extravaganza at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Games cauldron, which was lit by Malaysian diving sensation Nur Dhabitah Sabri on August 19, was completely extinguished at exactly 10.17 p.m. (Malaysian time), marking the end of an exciting 12 days of action which saw Malaysia achieving its target of becoming the overall champion.

Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak earlier declared the Games closed at precisely 10.13 p.m.

Over the last two weeks, 4,709 athletes and 2,381 officials gathered in Kuala Lumpur and competed in 404 events over 38 sports. Host Malaysia formed the biggest contingent of 844 athletes and 390 officials.

Earlier on Wednesday, Malaysia raked in another six out of the seven gold medals contested in diving (2), ice skating (3) and weightlifting (1) to complete its gold medal haul to 145.

Thailand took home 72 gold medals for second spot, followed by Vietnam with 58, Singapore 57, Indonesia 38, Philippines 24, Myanmar seven, Cambodia three and Laos two.

Brunei ended its campaign with five silver and eight bronze medals and Timor Leste managed three bronze medals.

The 30th edition of the Games will be hosted by the Philippines in 2019.

It was a a proud moment for Malaysia and Games organizers, Malaysia Organising Committee (MASOC), which, besides its massive achievement on the field amassing 323 medals, also earned recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its great efforts in organizing the Games.

IOC Executive Board member Ng Ser Miang of Singapore presented MASOC Chairman YB Brig Gen Khairy Jamaluddin, also the Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister, with a special trophy.

The traditional hand over of the SEA Games Federation flag to 2019 Games host Philippines was simple but meaningful with outgoing SEA Games Federation president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar of Malaysia presenting the flag to Philippines Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco who then handed it to the Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who will the lead in organizing the country’s first hosting of the Games since 2005.

KLSEAG2017 News

Two late athletic Golds avert Philippines shutout

By Gerry Carpio (The Philippine Star)

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The Philippines’ Kaitlin de Guzman adds a silver in floor exercise and a bronze in balance beam after a gold feat in uneven bars. JUN MENDOZA

KUALA LUMPUR – Team Philippines lost the momentum of its golden romp the day before and was staring at a gold-less day until athletics’ Trenten Anthony Beram and Aris Toledo delivered late in the night in the 29th Southeast Asian Games here.

Beram erased the specter of fellow Fil-Am Eric Cray’s shattering loss in the 100m dash Tuesday by ruling the 200m in a new Philippine record while Toledo proved to be Games’ ironman by winning the decathlon, giving the Philippines its 10th gold that went with 15 silver and 19 bronze medals to remain at sixth.

Beram clocked 20.84 seconds to beat Thai Jirapong Meenapra (21.22) and Malaysian Thevarr Gunasegaran (21.26).

Khairul Hafiz Jantan, who foiled Cray in the 100m dash, struggled to end up fourth in 21.28 seconds.

Toledo, on the other hand, amassed 7433 points to clinch the decathlon gold. Thai Suttisak Singkon settled for second with 7411 points while Vietnam’s Bui Van Su took the bronze with 6737 points.

Mark Harry Diones also took the silver in triple jump with a 16.63m leap. Malaysian Mohd Hakmi Ismail won the gold in record 16.77m feat.

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Malaysia pulled away with 47-35-29 (gold-silver-bronze) followed by Singapore (26-22-20), Vietnam (26-19-22), Thailand (16-27-33) and Indonesia (15-17-32).

EarIier, in a unusual day after a harvest of five gold medals Tuesday and three in the first three days, Team Philippines was stopped in its tracks by rivals from host Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia which leveled the field and carted away all the 32 gold medals staked until the late hours of the afternoon.

Until Beram and Toledo came through with late gold feats.

Perlas Pilipinas also hacked out a tough 69-67 victory over Thailand to stay in the medal hunt in women’s basketball.

Karatedo John Paul Behar advanced to the finals when the officials upheld a protest which involved a Malaysian karatedo’s entry to the finals on a wrong scoring. Behar advanced but lost in the gold medal round.

Kaitlin Cera Lianne dela Cruz added a silver medal in the floor exercise and a bronze in the balance beam, respectively, while Reyland Capellan took the bronze in the vault at the close of the artistic events in gymnastics yesterday. 

Dela Cruz who became gymnastics’ new sensation with her win in the uneven bars a day earlier, emerged as the best performer in artistic gymnastics in the Philippine team with a gold-silver-bronze medal finish.

The best finish before her was the silver medal of Ava Lorein Verdeflor in the uneven bars in 2015.

Capellan ended his stint in the SEA Games with a 1-3 finish counting his gold in the floor exercise to improve on his 1-0-0 gold-silver-bronze medal performance in 2015.

Last-minute substitute Arniel Ferreira, a former SEAG champion who was pulled out of retirement to sub 2015 gold medal winner Caleb Stuart, a no-show in the national eliminations, took the bronze in the men’s hammer throw.