Southeast Asian Games open

First posted 07:39pm (Mla time) Nov 27, 2005
Agence France-Presse




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Editor's Note: Re-posts to correct length of Games.


(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the 23rd Southeast Asian Games open Sunday in a glittering ceremony at the Aquino sports stadium in central Manila.

Fireworks lit up the night sky as thousands of spectators packed the stadium to cheer the 5,000 plus athletes from 11 nations who will compete in the nine-day event.

Members of the region's royal houses were among the official delegates to watch the opening. Among them were Prince Norodom Ranariddh of Cambodia, Brunei's Prince Sufri Bolkiah and Thai Princess Sievannarvari Nariratana and Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

While the opening ceremony in Manila went off without a hitch, a preliminary football match between Thailand and Malaysia in the central city of Bacolod was plunged into darkness just 72 minutes into the match due to a power failure for unknown reasons.

Power was restored after a 15-minute break at the Panaad Stadium and the game continued.

In Manila, former Olympic and Southeast Asian Games medalists from the Philippines opened the ceremonies followed by delegates from each of the 11 participating countries.

Thousands of athletes and sports officials from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam are to compete for 441 gold medals in the nine-day showpiece to be held in different Philippine cities.

Indonesia had the biggest delegation with 609 athletes while East Timor had 33 athletes.

An estimated 5,336 athletes will compete in 41 events which will run from November 27 to December 5.

Security was tight with 17,000 police on alert to ensure the safety of the thousands of athletes and officials taking part, amid the threat of possible attacks by militants.

Arroyo appeared at the opening ceremony alongside leaders of the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in a show of regional unity.

The MILF has been fighting to set up a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippines for decades but has signed a ceasefire and is engaged in peace talks with Manila through the intercession of Malaysia.

The Games are held every two years, with the last event hosted by Vietnam. Thailand is scheduled to host them in 2007.

Host nation the Philippines aims to top the medal table at games but with football the main focus the glory could go to Thailand, sports officials have said.

: Breaking news:From PDI
CEBU CITY— Fielding four pairs fanned out in two different categories, the Philippines swept the dancesport competitions on Sunday, hacking out a pair of 1-2 finishes in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the grand ballroom of the Water Front Hotel.

The result: two gold medals and two silvers.

Michael Mendoza and Belinda Agora swung, swayed and cut through the dancefloor on the way to the gold in the Latin American category. Finishing behind them were John Erolle Melencio and Dearlie Gerodias, also of the Philippines. Thais Watchakorn Suasee and Warapa Jumbala took the bronze.

In the Standard category, Rico Rosima and Filomena Salvador stormed off with the gold medal while compatriots Emmanuel Reyes and Maira Rosete bagged the silver. Thailand’s Pawatpong Ratcha-apai and Chanawan Potimu took the bronze.


BACOLOD CITY—The Philippines encountered little resistance in claiming its first win in the Southeast Asian Games women’s volleyball tournament at the jampacked West Negros College Gym here.

The RP volleybelles handily dispatched Singapore, 25-9, 25-16, 25-20, in 64 minutes and draw first blood in the five-team tournament.

Philippine coach Ramil de Jesus said his team has yet to play true to form.


“We did not show off our plays because some teams are scouting us, but I think we sent a strong statement,” said De Jesus.

From PDI:
A GOLD to spark a windfall.

Marestela Torres and Lerma Balauitan-Gabito try to outleap each other for the long jump gold as the centerpiece athletics event of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games gets going today at the age-old Rizal Memorial Stadium.

With no real threat in sight, Torres and Balauitan-Gabito are tipped to go head-to-head again in aiming for the victory the country hopes will trigger a golden rush in the medal-rich sport.

Also on tap starting at nine in the morning are the women's pole vault and high jump finals followed by the semifinals of both the men and women's century dash where Balauitan-Gabito is also entered.

Balauitan-Gabito's 100-meter heat includes Vu Thi Huong, the bronze medalist in the event in Vietnam, and the Filipina has a chance at landing a medal with Thais Oranut Klomdee and Juthamas Thavorncharoen, 1-2 two years ago, deciding to skip the event.

Long jump has been a private preserve of the Philippines with Elma Muros-Posadas dominating it in the last two decades after Lydia de Vega-Mercado's brief reign in 1983.

"We have the edge in this event with our two entries," national coach Jojo Posadas said in Filipino. "The personal best of both Torres and Gabito compared to those of the opposition practically guarantees us of winning the (women's) long jump."

Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association president Go Teng Kok has promised at least 10 victories in athletics, with an outside chance for three more.

A total of 45 gold medals will be at stake, and Go and the rest of the national team coaching staff expect several RP records-maybe even some meet marks-to fall.

Muros-Posadas still owns the SEAG long jump mark of 6.52 meters, set in 1989, but Torres' leap of 6.63 meters in Incheon, South Korea, during the Asian trackfest last September is the new RP mark.

On the other hand, Balauitan-Gabito once leapt to a distance of 6.56 meters and has breached the 6.40 mark this year.

The Philippines has not won the overall championship in athletics and now aims to dethrone powerhouse Thailand, which will be fielding a total of 78 bets in an effort to at least duplicate a 22-gold haul in Vietnam two years ago.

"I think 13 would be a reasonable number for us and enough for the Philippines to win the overall (title in athletics)," Go told the Inquirer. "Our initial forecast was a maximum of 15, but after seeing the competitors from the other (countries), I think 13 is the realistic number."

Mikaela Santos, the RP record holder in pole vault at 3.20 meters, is one of two Filipino entries in the event together with Deborah Samson.

Both will have their hands full with Vietnamese Le Thi Phuong and Malaysian Roslinda Samsu also entered.

Samsu chalked up her personal best of 4.20 meters this year, while the Vietnamese bet has cleared 4.05 meters also this season. Samson has a personal best of 4.00 meters.

Narcisa Atienza will be the lone RP entry in the high jump and will battle two bets each from Thailand and Vietnam. Atienza's personal best of 1.81 stands as the new RP mark, but it pales in comparison to the 1.94 of Viet Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tam and Thai ace Noeng-Ruthai Chaipech's 1.91.

Ralph Waldy Soguilon, whose claim to a new UAAP record was denied because of the lack of a wind gauge, gets his chance at redemption when he sees action in the first 100-meter semifinal heat. Aranold Villarube is entered in heat two.

Honey Joy Ortaliz will run in the second semifinal of the women's 100m. With a report from Hazel Sanculi, Contributor

Here is a shocking criticism from Cebu Archibishop



P4M better spent feeding the poor: Vidal laments SEAG opener
By Jasmin R. Uy
The Freeman 11/27/2005

Not all in Cebu were agog, after all, over the lavish extravaganza that was the opening ceremony of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games last Friday.

At least one discordant voice rose above the din of praise, and what a voice it was.

The voice belonged to Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

According to Msgr. Achilles Dakay, the Cebu archdiocesan media liaison officer, the cardinal was dismayed by the lavishness of the preparations.

Dakay said the cardinal felt the P4 million spent for the opening ceremonies would have been better spent providing food for the hungry.

" If they could spend that much for one activity, they can maybe also spend that much for our hungry needy people, " Dakay said, quoting Vidal, in a press conference at the archbishop's residence yesterday.

Of the P4 million reportedly allocated for the grand opening ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center, at least P1 million was spent for the huge fireworks display that lit up the night sky over the center for about 20 minutes.

The money spent, according to Vidal, would have been sufficient for the needs of feeding centers and other institutions for the elderly and children, Dakay said.

Sought for comment on the cardinal's apparent displeasure, councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, chairman of the city council committee on sports and development, explained that the money used for the opening ceremonies came from the Office of the President through the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee and that Cebu City did not spend anything for the activity.

What the city spent for was only the accommodation and transportation expenses of some officials and members of Team Philippines for the five events that are to be played in Cebu.

The cardinal, according to Dakay, even spends his own money to feed the poor at the two feeding centers maintained by the archdiocese.

Dakay did not say how much the cardinal spends of his own money for these centers, saying only that at least P1,500 is spent each feeding session.

At its various feeding centers, the archdiocese feeds no less than 500 people every Sunday afternoon.

Aside from the money it spends for these feeding sessions, the archdiocese also accepts donations from various charitable sources to augment the program.

From what it spends and from public donations, the archdiocese feeds the hungry at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in barangay Capitol Site and the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva parish in barangay Pardo.

In an earlier homily at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral during the feast of Christ the King, Vidal called for the opening of more feeding centers to feed the growing number of hungry people in Cebu City.

" I have made the challenge, and asked, for a long time already, that there should be in our City of Cebu more feeding centers so that we can daily ensure the feeding of the hungry, " Vidal said at the time.

The cardinal hurled the challenge at Cebu's Catholics, basing his call on the gospel for the feast of Christ the King, which was " feed the hungry. "

" In the Gospel that has just been read, we are taught, we are commanded, as siblings in the Faith, to feed our hungry poor. Have we learned from these teachings? Have we really obeyed the said commandment? " Vidal asked.

" The faithful should not play blind and deaf to their sorry plight. While we are fortunate to go and eat 'all you can' in restaurants, they should arouse our pity those who have no food to eat, " Vidal said.

" True, there are projects feeding the hungry poor at noontime but few are those who volunteer for this project of ours. "

The bishop has a point, however he needs to understand that the games hosted in the Phils. has done good for the country as a whole; investment will pour to see the local unity between govt and former rebels.

Excellent job philippines! Thailand enjoyed our stay!

WE WON HAHAHAHHA GOOD GAME THO!

^ Hafta agree. Priests/Bishops can be so old school. Hehehehe. Plus the budget for the SEA games isn't even big.

Anyone here who has finished watching the Men's Volleyball b/n Thailand and Vietnam? Wasn't able to finish it... I fell asleep



Basta sa sayawan, walang tatao sa Pinoy.

:
Philippines lead the medal count !
23rd SEA Games Medal Summary
(Unofficial as of 4:00PM Nov.28)
COUNTRY


G S B TOTAL
PHILIPPINES 10 7 8 25
MALAYSIA 5 7 4 16
VIETNAM 5 5 8 18
INDONESIA 4 3 7 14
THAILAND 2 3 9 14
SINGAPORE 1 1 2 4
MYANMAR 0 1 2 3
BRUNEI 0 0 0 0
CAMBODIA 0 0 0 0
TIMOR LESTE 0 0 0 0
LAOS 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 27 27 40 94




Lightning of the torch with the Ati-atihan dancers


Fireworks

The Philippines now had 16 Gold medals !

[COLOR=red]Congratulations to Team Philippines!

^What's the 16th gold?

I'm looking forward to our Tsinoys (Alvin Ting and Willy Wang). Hope they get the gold medals AGAIN in Wushu!

Paki support din si Miss Philippines- World 2005 Carlene Ang Aguilar so text lang ng text!

^ Wala akong load.

Pag-magkaload ka paki boto mo si Miss Philippines -World hanggang December 10 pa naman ang botohan



Here is the opening ceremonies held last night!

Some 300,000 people gather at the Rizal Park to watch the glittering opening ceremonies of the Southeast Asian Games yesterday afternoon. A part of the big crowd is shown packed in front of the Quirino Grandstand. The ceremonies featured a parade of the athletes of the 11 participating nations and performances by Filipino artists. Philippine government officials led the crowd in welcoming the delegates from the 10 other ASEAN countries.

Update.. 17 medals na... wee. Yesterday, we had only 5.. an additional of 12 medals.

Eto ang mga larawan ng ating makabagong bayani!

From Philippine Daily Inquirer website:
Philippine runner wins 10,000-meter race

First posted 01:50pm (Mla time) Nov 28, 2005
Associated Press


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They were both guaranteed medals before they stepped on the track, but Mercedita Manipol of the Philippines and Myanmar's Pa Pa put on quite a show Monday in the 10,000-meter race at the Southeast Asian Games.
Manipol, Pa and Vietnam's Truong Thi Mai were the only entrants in the early morning 10,000 race at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Manipol, who had led most of the race, was passed by Pa with four laps to go.

Not to be outdone, Manipol took the lead again with two laps to go, and the two were neck and neck the rest of the way before the Filipino runner finished in 35 minutes, 38.04 seconds, just over a second ahead of Pa.

It must have been a familiar sight for the Myanmar runner-- Manipol passed Pa in the closing moments of the 10,000 at Vietnam two years ago, claiming bronze and relegating Pa to fourth.

Mai was a distant third Monday, finishing in 37:00.82.

"I was not expecting to win a gold, but I just had to maintain my pacing," said Manipol.

In an early field event Monday, Thailand's Bouban Pamang won gold in the javelin throw with a distance of 55.06 meters. Rosie Villarito of the Philippines was second with 49.43 while Singapore's Zhang Guirong took bronze with 48.7.

^ I was really impressed with the Thai thrower. Malinis magtapon ng javelin.

And for Manipol... fisrt gold medal for the day. Akala ko matatalo kasi nakalayo yung taga-Myanmar kanina

Philippine divers Nino Carog (bottom) and Zardo Domenios (top) perform the final of the Men's 3M synchronized springboard competition during the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Los Baños, south of Manila. The Philippine pair won the gold medal. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul


2ND UPDATE) THE Philippines swept all three gold medals at stake in Day 2 of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games diving competitions.
Filipina diver Shiela Mae Perez scored her second gold medal in the women's 3-meter springboard individual event.

Perez garnered 514.23 points to win the gold over Vietnam's Hoang Thanh Anh, who jumped from fourth place in the morning's preliminary to take the silver with 461.46 points.

Earlier, Mercedita Manipol, a 25-year-old teaching student who returned to school after leaving college as a teenager, won the 10,000-meter race while 2000 Sydney Olympics diver Zardo Domenios paired with Nino Carog to dominate the men's 3-meter synchronized springboard.

Domenios and Carog amassed a total of 299.40 points, Malaysia had 283.50 points and Thailand had 278.73 points.

Ryan Rexel Fabriga and Kevin Kromwell Kong won in the men's 10-meter synchronized platform competition.

They earned 300.78 points, barely edging Malaysia's total of 299.94 for the triumph. Thailand posted 272.70 for third place.

The Philippines won four golds early in Monday's competition, including one in team tennis and another in the martial arts sport of wushu -- giving it nine, a four-gold buffer on second-place Malaysia.

The host country also led the overall medal count with 22, six ahead of Malaysia and Vietnam.

Manipol, Myanmar's Pa Pa and Vietnam's Truong Thi Mai were the only entrants in the early morning 10,000 race at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Manipol, who had led most of the race, was passed by Pa with four laps to go.

But Manipol took the lead again with two laps to go, and the two were neck and neck the rest of the way before the Filipino runner finished in 35 minutes, 38.04 seconds, just over a second ahead of Pa.

Mai was a distant third Monday, finishing in 37:00.82.

"I was not expecting to win a gold, but I just had to maintain my pacing," said Manipol.

Domenios and Carog led in all five rounds of their dive competition to finish with 299.40 points, nearly 16 points ahead of the silver medal-winning pair of Yeoh Ken Nee and Rossharisham Roslam of Malaysia. Domenios also won a bronze medal in the 1-meter springboard on Sunday.

"This is a sweet victory for both of us because we won the gold in our own turf," said Carog, who won a silver medal in the same event with Jaime Asok at the 2003 Games in Vietnam.

Elsewhere Monday, Thailand's Bouban Pamang won gold in the javelin throw with a distance of 55.06 meters, ahead of Rosie Villarito of the Philippines with 49.43 and Singapore's Zhang Guirong with 48.7.

The Southeast Asian Games are held every two years and include 11 countries, including the second appearance by the former Indonesian province of East Timor.

More than 5,300 athletes are competing this year in the event ending December 5.

I wish they'll air the wushu event of Wang and Ting.

BTW, where do you get your news?

RP bets get gold in karate

CEBU CITY--Gretchen Malalad and Marna Pabillore anchored a two-gold medal haul in karate in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the Mandaue City sports complex.

Malalad tapped her chest twice, stared down Jamalliah BT Jamalludin of Malaysia and then snuck in the winning punch in sudden death to bag the gold in the +60kg category of the women’s individual kumite.

Pabillore, got to work immediately right just a few seconds into her final match, and racked up five straight points before capping a 6-2 victory over Thailand’s Y. Torrattanawathana with a primal scream that seemed to sum up everything she felt about bagging the -53kg crown.


There is an official Sea Games website:
Here is the link para updated ka naman:
http://www.2005seagames.com.ph/

Or you mat visit Philippine Daily Inquirer website
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Wushu pa rin ako kasi si ... wala lang. 17 years old lang kasi si Alvin Ting, tapos nung nanalo siya ng gold sa wushu 2 years ago, he was only 15 tapos mga 20+ na mga nakalaban niya.
Hindi lang yun, I wonder if he speaks Tagalog(Hehehe) kasi nung ininterview siya 2 years ago, he speaks english with Chinese accent. XP

May gusto ka lang sa kanya .... hehehe anyway let us cheer the Philippine team.

May bata din contingent anf Malaysia 14 years old yung flag bearer nila noong opening!

Hoy.. hindi ako pedophile.

Malayong masguwapo dun si Champ

Marami din palang gwapong Thai at Singaporean! Hehehe

Masguwapo Pinoy. Kahit di magayos guwapo pa rin.. parang si Champ.

Edit: 22 gold medals na raw tayo. Got this from the rbeaking news at ABS-CBN


http://www.thanhniennews.com/sports/?catid=5&newsid=10449

LOL. Our cameras aren't even hightech to produce video manipulation. Why do they have such things AGAINST us?

SouthEast Asians are not that poor....why cant she afford some decent track shoes?

many runners prefer to run barefoot
especially in long distance races...

RP demolished malaysia in baseball 38-0!!!!

^Really? Why do tehy prefer barefooted. I mean, Does it not hurt their feet?

Update. We're doing good. Last night, before I sleep. Our gold was 25, now it's 29!

PHILIPPINES 29 12 16 57
VIETNAM 16 14 18 48
MALAYSIA 8 11 9 28
THAILAND 7 13 22 42
INDONESIA 6 10 10 26
MYANMAR 2 5 6 13
SINGAPORE 2 4 8 14
BRUNEI 0 1 2 3
LAOS 0 0 2 2
CAMBODIA 0 0 0 0
TIMOR LESTE 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 70 70 93 233

http://www.2005seagames.com.ph/

Aquatics Medal Tally

Country: Gold; Silver; Bronze
Philippines: 4; 1; 1
Malaysia: 2; 2; 3
Singapore: 1; 0; 0
Thailand: 0; 2; 3
Vietnam: 0; 2; 0
Laos: 0; 0; 0

Myanmar: 0; 0; 0
Cambodia: 0; 0; 0
Timor: 0; 0; 0
Indonesia: 0; 0; 0
Brunei: 0; 0; 0

LOS BAÑOS --The Philippines found a treasure chest in the diving pool yesterday.

With Filipina diver Shiela Mae Perez once again leading the golden expedition, the country swept all three gold medals at stake in Day 2 of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games diving competitions, doubling their previous haul two years ago and practically claiming the overall title at the Trace Aquatics Center here.

The 19-year-old Perez became the biennial meet’s first double gold medalist after ruling the women’s 3-meter springboard individual event.

Shiela Mae had earlier won the 3-meter synchronized springboard gold for RP with Ceseil Domenios.

The day auspiciously began with Zardo Domenios and Niño Carog claiming the gold medal in the men’s 3-meter synchronized springboard and ended gloriously with the untested pair of Ryan Rexel Fabriga and Kevin Kromwell Kong pulling off a come-from-behind victory in the men’s 10-meter synchronized platform.

The Philippines now has four golds and one bronze in diving alone, improving the 2-2-2 finish in Vietnam two years ago with still four events left today and tomorrow.

Perez, who still has a chance for a third gold when she competes tomorrow in the 1-meter springboard, garnered 514.23 points to win the gold decisively over Vietnam’s Hoang Thanh Anh.

Hoang took the silver with 461.46 points. Defending champion Supapan Prasertkwan of Thailand, third in the prelims, wound up fourth (420.18) behind Malaysian Leong Mun Yee (456.64).

“I wasn’t aiming at winning the gold but I set my sights on beating all my rivals,” Perez said in Filipino.

Domenios and Carog won with 299.40 points, with the Malaysian pair of individual springboard gold medalist Yeoh Ken Nee and Rossharisham Roslan taking the silver (283.50) and the Thai pair settling for the bronze (278.73).

“We thought the Malaysians would take the gold here because they are ranked higher than us in the world (No. 12 as against RP’s No. 14 ranking), pero sabi ko nga basta tusok na tusok ang pasok sa tubig malaki ang tsansa sa gold,”' said RP coach Rommel Kong.

The 19-year-old Carog, son of a porter at the Davao City pier, won the silver in Vietnam.

Carog and the 21-year-old fellow Davaoeño Domenios will again gun for the gold in the 3-meter springboard individual tomorrow. With a report from Don Eric Sta. Rosa



THE PHILIPPINE athletics contingent scooped up four gold medals yesterday highlighted by a record leap from Henry Dagmil and an upset victory by a tiny long distance runner in Day 2 of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

Dagmil set a new SEAG mark of 7.81 meters in the men’s long jump and the 80-lb., 4-foot-11 Romblon native Mercedita Manipol provided the first reversal in the meet by ruling the women’s 10,000-meter run in the morning to jumpstart a fruitful day for the Filipinos.

Hostilities ended at night with a whimper, however, when the highly favored defending champion Eduardo Buenavista sputtered in the final lap to lose the men’s 10,000-meter title to Thai Boonthung Srisung in 29 minutes and 29.59 seconds.

Buenavista, who was expected to win both the 10,000 and 5,000-meter runs, tired out after setting the early pace and settled for second with a time of 29:49.77 before a stunned crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

But two other Filipino defending champions prevailed, with Danilo Fresnido keeping his men’s javelin title and Rene Herrera repeating in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The 23-year-old Cotabato native Dagmil, bucking a slight left hamstring pull, ripped Malaysian Mohd Zaki Sadri’s record of 7.79 meters set in the Jakarta SEAG in 1997.

Mohd Syahrul Amri MD Suhaimi salvaged the silver for Malaysia with an effort of 7.69. Thai Kittisak Sukon went home with the bronze after leaping 7.54 meters.

“I tried hard right in my second attempt,” Dagmil, who was sixth in Vietnam in 2003 because of the same injury, said in Filipino. “I knew that I would have a hard time in the latter tries because of my injury.”

Thai Bouban Pamang, a 21-year-old who was clearly outweighed and outsized by several of her competitors, actually provided the first record-breaking performance with a heave of 55.06 meters in the women’s javelin finals.

The athlete from Changrai province easily won the gold over Filipino Rosie Villarito, who could do no better than 49.43 meters. Zhang Guirong of Singapore, settled for the bronze after throwing the javelin to 48.70 meters.

Guirong returned to the field later to win the women’s shot put with a throw of 17.40 meters, nipping countrywoman Du Xianhui, who threw 17.37. Thai Juthaporn Krasaeyan was the bronze medalist (14.15).

Fresnido threw the javelin to a golden distance of 70.20 meters, easily winning over Sanya Buathong (66.09) of Thailand with Filipino Danny Gallenero copping the bronze with a heave of 65.80 in his final try.

Herrera captured his second gold in the steeplechase in wire-to-wire fashion with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who toured the venues to cheer for the RP bets, among the spectators in the stands.

Herrera, who lapped Timor Liste bet Elias de Deus going into the final 15 or so strides, timed eight minutes and 56.14 seconds, way off the 8:40.77 SEAG mark held by Buenavista after the rest of the starters failed to give decent chase.

Tran Van Thang of Vietnam was second in 9:07.89. Patikarn Pechsricha bagged the bronze at 9:13.27.

“I knew I had it won right from the start that’s why I did not push it anymore after just two laps,” Herrera told the Inquirer in Filipino. “This is my second (SEAG) gold, but it was sweeter because it happened here in the Philippines.

“It’s an entirely different feeling running and winning in front of your President and countrymen.”

Manipol made the most out of the withdrawal of two key entries in her event, nipping Burma (Myanmar) bet Pa Pa in 35:38.04. Third and last entry Truong Thi Mai of Vietnam, who held the lead until the final two laps, bagged the bronze in 37:00.82.

With five gold medals, counting Marestella Torres’ long jump victory Sunday, the Filipinos barely edged Vietnam for the overall lead in athletics. Vietnam also had five golds and four silvers but was two bronze medals off the host country.

Vu Thi Huong highlighted Vietnam’s five-gold spree with a convincing triumph in the women’s century dash in 11.49. Thais Nongnuchi Sanrat (11.63) and Oranut Klomdee (11.66) checked in second and third, respectively.

Lerma Balauitan-Gabito, who provided a dramatic challenge to Torres on Sunday, checked in a badly beaten fifth at 11.72 Thailand’s Wachara Sondee topped the men’s 100 in 10.47. With a report from Hazel Sanculi

are you serious? wouldn't that put stress on the foot?

"Lutong makaw" daw kamo? Sino daw yung dalawang Thai judges na nabayaran daw ?

2 Thais sanctioned for shady judging in aquatics

First posted 05:29pm (Mla time) Dec 01, 2005


By Marc Anthony Reyes
Inquirer News Service

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna -- At least two Thai aquatics officials have been sanctioned by the Fina (international aquatics federation) for “shady judging” among other things, Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph said on Thursday.

Joseph said that in aquatics, one Thai judge was disciplined by the Fina neutral referee from New Zealand for “obviously favoring his own diver.”

In water polo, according to Joseph, another Thai referee was banned from the deck because of “intentional bad calls and unfair player exclusions.”

He said the referee “destroyed the Vietnam team” and was never allowed to be on the deck again by the Fina neutral delegate from Iran.

Joseph refused to name the two Thai referees.

They like speaking to early! Maluto din silang mga Thai noh!
There is a popular Filipino saying : Ang Magnanakaw ay galit sa kapwa magnanakaw" pare pareho lang sila!

I was there in Luneta at aroun 2 pm ! Great crowd ! Great support!

Expect just thousands of people attending the 2007 SEA games from the next host este cheater country "Thailand" and also they will forced the crowd by paying them to watch the opening ceremonies which they want to surpassed the crowd that gather in Luneta , they are targeting 500,000 people......

The Philippines is now the overall Sea Games champion with 114 Golds, 82 Silver and 91 Bronze with an overall tally of 287 medals!

ASEAN flags at the Rizal monument




pre-closing program number by cadets of the Police Academy





Fiesta feeling...Philippine traditional dances



athletes were welcomed back by the ati-atihan group



they were serenaded by songs from all participating countries (athletes sang along with the choral...great!)

Isaw this great picture in the is site: Skyscrapercity Forum - Philippines
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=295