PHNOM PENH. – For Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, its mission accomplished for the national team in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games that officially ended Wednesday here.
The Pinoy squad, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the POC, finished with 58 gold medals and fifth place overall but Tolentino said this doesn’t paint the true picture.
“The medal haul will speak for itself,” said Tolentino, referring to the 58 gold, 85 silver and 117 bronze medals the country won here, surpassing the 52 gold, 70 silver and 105 bronze medals last year in Vietnam.
Tolentino noted that Cambodia, bidding to do well in its initial hosting of the biennial games, tweaked accepted norms by limiting the participation of the 10 other member countries in dozens of sports disciplines while fielding a complete roster, obviously to its advantage.
As a result, Cambodia, which never figured strongly in the medals race in the past, had an 81-74-127 gold-silver-bronze tally to finish fourth behind repeat overall champion Vietnam (136-105-114), Thailand (108-96-108) and Indonesia (87-80-109).
But Tolentino was undaunted by the result, with the victory in men’s basketball last Tuesday evening capping the fighting campaign.
“The important thing is we surpassed the medal haul last SEA Games and we have reclaimed basketball supremacy in the region,” he said.
A pre-games favorite with a lineup heavily reinforced by American players, Cambodia fell short of expectations in the men’s basketball finale, dropping a 69-80 decision to Gilas Pilipinas.
The victory capped Gilas’ road to redemption after it was humiliated by Indonesia in Hanoi in May last year.
Tolentino said he and the POC have all the reasons to continue profusely supporting Filipino athletes.
“I will continue to be steadfast in supporting our athletes, sports officials and Philippine sports development in general,” he said.
Tolentino added: “The 32nd SEA Games has once again proven the Filipino brand of sportsmanship and athletic talent. Team Philippines made the nation proud, and our athletes, with all heart and spirit, fought well and hard, and this is all what matters.”
Tolentino also praised Cambodia for its SEA Games hosting debut, saying: “The respect and admiration we have gained from our Asean counterparts all the more made these games a sweeter success. More importantly, we have done our part in strengthening the ties that bind Southeast Asian nations into a shared vision of regional inclusive growth.
“Clearly, the 32nd SEA Games theme of ‘Peace Through Sports’ has been achieved.”
Thailand will host the 33rd SEA Games in 2025 in Bangkok and Chonburi.
