Bountiful harvest expected from billiards, karatedo and boxing bets
PERRY LEGASPI
11/12/2009 | 04:39 PM
The Philippines could harvest a combined production of at least 11 gold medals in billiards, karatedo and women’s boxing in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.
Arturo Ilagan of the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president expressed confidence the country’s cue masters are capable of winning four to five gold medals.
And with world champions Efren “Bata" Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Ronnie Alcano and Rubilen Amit leading the billiards and snooker team, that target is doable.
Pagulayan will participate in the snookers singles while Carlo Biado and Roberto Gomez Jr. will compete in the doubles event. Reyes will vie in the English billiard singles and in the 9-ball doubles and Alcano will play in the 8-ball singles along with Gandy Valle.
Ramil Gallego and Dennis Orcollo will see action in the 9-ball singles. Rey Grandea will try to win medals in the English billiard singles and doubles (with Warren Kiamco) and 1 cushion carom singles. Rodolfo Luat will also take part in the 1-cushion carom.
Amit, who ruled the women’s world 10-ball championship last June, will participate in 8-ball and 9-ball, while Mary Ann Basas and Iris Ranola will also be entered in the 8-ball and 9-ball events, respectively. Amit is actually gunning for her third straight SEAG gold in 8-ball.
Not to be outdone are the female boxers, whose coach Glicerio Catolico said are good for at least three gold medals.
“Based on what I saw in Hanoi, we can win three to four golds," said Catolico, basing his assessment on the outcome of the Filipinas’ campaign during the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.
Annie Albania, who won a gold medal in the Asian Indoor Games and in the 2007 SEA Games, will spearhead the team’s participation.
Albania will defend her crown in the 51 kg. event while veteran Mitchel Martinez, a two-time Asian champion, will seek to retire a champion in the 60 kg. class. Josie Gabuco and Alice Kate Aparri will target podium finishes in the 46 and 48 kg categories.
The biggest threat to the Filipinos’ medal targets are Thailand and Vietnam.
On the other hand, Raymund Lee Reyes of the Philippine Karatedo Federation and head coach David Lay believe their wards could add at least two golds to the Philippines’ medal haul.
Japanese coach
Reyes and Lay said the entry of Japanese coach Yazuo Hanzaki helped the karatekas immensely.
“He’s very meticulous in changing what the athletes are doing," Lay said regarding Hanzaki, who is a sixth degree blackbelter. “He provides a very good mindset on doing the basics properly. He has corrected a lot of things, he’s a very keen observer."
“He is very helpful to spirit of players," Reyes added. “For a long time, we had no foreign coach and I think it really helps that he’s here."
In the previous SEA Games held in Thailand, karatedo bagged five silvers.
Doha Asian Games silver medalist Ma. Marna Pabillore will be at the forefront of the karatedo squad even as teammate and SEAG individual kata silver medalist Noel Espinosa, who is a bronze medalist in the Doha Asiad, will try to better his recent SEAG finish. Pabillore will be competing in the -55 kg class division.
Mae Soriano and Lutche Metante, two of the five silver medalists in the previous SEA Games, are entered in the -50 and +68 kg. events, respectively. Also making the team is Cherly Tugday.
With Espinosa in the men’s team are Ace Eso (-55 kg), Ireneo Toribio (-60 kg), Joel Gonzaga (-84 kg) and Michael Dumayag (+84 kg). – GMANews.TV
Arturo Ilagan of the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president expressed confidence the country’s cue masters are capable of winning four to five gold medals.
Reyes
Pagulayan will participate in the snookers singles while Carlo Biado and Roberto Gomez Jr. will compete in the doubles event. Reyes will vie in the English billiard singles and in the 9-ball doubles and Alcano will play in the 8-ball singles along with Gandy Valle.
Ramil Gallego and Dennis Orcollo will see action in the 9-ball singles. Rey Grandea will try to win medals in the English billiard singles and doubles (with Warren Kiamco) and 1 cushion carom singles. Rodolfo Luat will also take part in the 1-cushion carom.
Amit, who ruled the women’s world 10-ball championship last June, will participate in 8-ball and 9-ball, while Mary Ann Basas and Iris Ranola will also be entered in the 8-ball and 9-ball events, respectively. Amit is actually gunning for her third straight SEAG gold in 8-ball.
Not to be outdone are the female boxers, whose coach Glicerio Catolico said are good for at least three gold medals.
“Based on what I saw in Hanoi, we can win three to four golds," said Catolico, basing his assessment on the outcome of the Filipinas’ campaign during the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.
Albania
Albania will defend her crown in the 51 kg. event while veteran Mitchel Martinez, a two-time Asian champion, will seek to retire a champion in the 60 kg. class. Josie Gabuco and Alice Kate Aparri will target podium finishes in the 46 and 48 kg categories.
The biggest threat to the Filipinos’ medal targets are Thailand and Vietnam.
On the other hand, Raymund Lee Reyes of the Philippine Karatedo Federation and head coach David Lay believe their wards could add at least two golds to the Philippines’ medal haul.
Japanese coach
Reyes and Lay said the entry of Japanese coach Yazuo Hanzaki helped the karatekas immensely.
“He’s very meticulous in changing what the athletes are doing," Lay said regarding Hanzaki, who is a sixth degree blackbelter. “He provides a very good mindset on doing the basics properly. He has corrected a lot of things, he’s a very keen observer."
“He is very helpful to spirit of players," Reyes added. “For a long time, we had no foreign coach and I think it really helps that he’s here."
In the previous SEA Games held in Thailand, karatedo bagged five silvers.
Doha Asian Games silver medalist Ma. Marna Pabillore will be at the forefront of the karatedo squad even as teammate and SEAG individual kata silver medalist Noel Espinosa, who is a bronze medalist in the Doha Asiad, will try to better his recent SEAG finish. Pabillore will be competing in the -55 kg class division.
Mae Soriano and Lutche Metante, two of the five silver medalists in the previous SEA Games, are entered in the -50 and +68 kg. events, respectively. Also making the team is Cherly Tugday.
With Espinosa in the men’s team are Ace Eso (-55 kg), Ireneo Toribio (-60 kg), Joel Gonzaga (-84 kg) and Michael Dumayag (+84 kg). – GMANews.TV
