HANGZHOU. – Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann is positive Filipino athletes can still deliver despite their slow start in the 19th Asian Games here.
In a meeting with Filipino sportswriters, Bachmann said he is counting on athletes like EJ Obiena, Alex Eala, Hidilyn Diaz, and the national boxers to come up with a strong performance and jack up the medal tally of Team Philippines.
So far, the Philippines has won four bronze medals courtesy of Patrick King Perez of taekwondo, and wushu bets Jones Inso, Gideon Fred Padua and Clemente Tabugara Jr. and a silver from wushu fighter Arnel Mandal.
Mandal pulled off a surprise after clinching the silver in the men’s 56-kilogram sanda event Thursday.
But the Philippines suffered disappointment after prized athletes Kayla Sanchez, Margielyn Didal, and Irish Magno failed to deliver.
Sanchez, a two-time Olympic medalist for Canada, has yet to win a single medal going into the last two days of swimming while Didal was dethroned in the women’s street event of the skateboarding competition due to a nagging ankle injury.
Magno, a Tokyo Olympian, also fell by the wayside, bowing to Nigina Ukmatova of Uzbekistan in the Round of 16 of the women’s 54-kilogram event.
“I’m still hoping,” Bachmann said, adding Pinoy athletes can still surpass their previous achievement of four gold medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
“I’m still confident that we will surpass (our previous) four golds. I was with (boxing chairman) Ricky Vargas last night and he told me that they can get at least two medals. I’m looking at EJ Obiena, I’m looking at Alex Eala, and other athletes who can pull off a surprise.”
Obiena, the second-best pole vaulter in the world, is the country’s brightest hope as he currently holds the Asian record of 6.0 meters.
