The Philippine bets in medal-rich swimming and athletics delivered as expected in the 11th BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area) Friendship Games in Puerto Princesa City on Monday.
Swimmers Philip Adrian Sahagun (boys’ 200m individual medley), June Pearl Dagano (girls’ 100m freestyle), and Lora Micah Amoguis (girls’ 200m individual medley); and athletics’ Bernard Ganancial (men’s discus throw) put the Philippines on the medal table in the morning events at Ramon V. Mitra Jr. Sports Complex.
Sahagun clocked 2 minutes and 13.52 seconds to beat Indonesia’s Hidayatullah Aril (2:13.83) and fellow Filipino Rodolfo Paolo Apilado III (2:20.82).
Coming off a grueling collegiate season, the 21-year-old took a break for a week and was not too hopeful of winning here.
“I didn’t expect to win, kasi two weeks ago kakagaling ko lang ng UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) and I didn’t have time to prepare for this kasi gusto ko rin po makapagpahinga,” De La Salle University’s Sahagun said in an interview.
La Salle placed second behind archrival Ateneo de Manila in the overall race of the UAAP Season 87 men’s swimming.
“Pero ang mindset is swim for the Philippines,” he said. “Noong last lap, medyo nakaramdan po ako ng sakit ng katawan ko pero nakita ko po ‘yung kalaban ko na humahabol kaya i-push ko na… nandun na po ako sa una kaya sabi ko, ‘di ko na po ibibigay ‘tong gold.”
It was an all-Filipino show in the girls’ events with Ateneo’s Amoguis (2:30.73), Maglia Jaye Dignadice (2:38.01), and Allen Joy Santos (2:48.45) in the 200m individual medley; and local pride Dagano (1:04.59), Mira Claire Catayas (1:07.83) and Gwen Stefanie Pansit (1:09.98) in the 100m freestyle.
The Philippines, likewise, dominated men’s discus throw as Ganancial posted 33.95m, Jhonmark Sedoripa made 33.14m, and Lunasco Alabado had 32.58m.
Later, Sahagun and Amoguis anchored the men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams to victories.
Sahagun, Pietro Dominic Requiza, John Michael Catamco, and Paolo Miguel Labanon clocked 3:44.05; while Amoguis towed Juliana Villanueva, Lia Margarette Amoguis, and Rissa Angelian Sahagun to a 4:19.20 finish.
Other swimming winners in individual events were Catamco and Dignadice (boys’ and girls’ 50m butterfly); Rissa Sahagun (girls’ 200m breaststroke); and Edgar Allan Naraga and Quendy Fernandez (boys’ and girls’ 50m backstroke).
Sedoripa struck gold in men’s shotput with a 13.72m throw, beating Malaysia’s Victer Ben Binidik (13.67m) and teammate Khristian Val Muñoz (11.72m).
In the women’s 400m run, Davao City’s pride Milchay Moreno (1:00.41) and Crislyn Grace Wenceslao (1:02.77) bagged gold and bronze, respectively
Malaysia’s Shakira Natashya took the silver in 1:02.44.
On Tuesday, more medals are expected to come in from athletics, archery, and swimming at Mitra Sports Complex; badminton (men’s and women’s doubles) at Hagedorn Coliseum; karatedo (bronze medal matches only) at NCCC Mall; and pencak silat at Robinsons Place. (PNA)
