NAKHON RATCHASIMA—The head of the Philippine delegation has conceded the fight to host Thailand, and the best the 2005 overall champion could hope for now is to finish second.

But to finish second, the Philippines would still have to contend with Vietnam and Singapore, according to Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, chief of mission of Team Philippines.

“I have always said this, even back in Manila, that Thailand has never lost a SEA Games it hosted,” said Puentevella, also head of the weightlifting federation and first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

Puentevella’s declaration came noon Monday when only 40 percent of the total 435 gold medals staked in the Games have been won, 67 of them by the rampaging Thais. Vietnam ran second with 32 gold medals, Singapore had 26 and the Philippines 17, only one shy of Malaysia.

Puentevella missed last Thursday’s opening ceremonies because he was with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s entourage in Europe. He said he arrived in Bangkok Friday and motored here Saturday morning.

On Monday he called for a press conference at the POC office inside the operations center at the Suranaree University of Technology for the Philippine media. He was joined by POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and deputy chief of mission and commissioner Ritchie Garcia of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). Eric Loretizo, a former Bacolod newsman and a close ally of Puentevella who replaced Leon Montemayor as commissioner of the PSC only last week, was also in the press conference.

“The Thai athletes are in high spirits. It’s their king’s birthday and they want to win the overall championship as a gift to their king,” Puentevella stressed. King Bhumibol Adulyadej turned 80 on December 5, a day before the Games formally opened.

“The Thai athletes have all the support in these Games. They have all the morale support and the logistical support,” he added.

Puentevella also virtually blamed his colleagues in Congress for missing the point in the country’s overall championship in the SEA Games in 2005. “After winning the overall championship, the budget for sports suddenly went down, instead of going up,” he said.

The PSC only got P28 million from general appropriations in 2006 (from the usual P100 million). This was increased to P120 million this year and the sports agency expects P260 million.

Puentevella said there were more logistical support for Filipino athletes in 2005 and their China training yielded very positive results. The First Gentleman Foundation was also to be commended for the success in 2005, as it was able to raise about P150 million for the athletes’ foreign exposure and training.

For these Games, the PSC, according to Garcia, has spent P100 million broken down into P50 million for the actual participation of the 805 athletes and officials on Team Philippines and P25 million for foreign exposure and as much for equipment.

President Arroyo, Puentevella narrated, also reiterated her message to the athletes and officials that they are here in these Games not necessarily to win the gold but for the honor and respect of participating.

Appeal to the Thais

THE Bacolod congressman also said he has made representations with the Thais as to insinuations that the hosts are guaranteed the gold medals in the subjective sports.

“It’s okay that the Thais win, but if we win a gold medal, they should let us win, too,” he said.

Six Filipinos reached the boxing finals, but the talk around here is that the Thais may yet pull of controversial decisions to emerge overall champions in one of their favorite sports.

“Anyway, the Thais are way up there, so I hope they give us a fair contest in boxing,” Puentevella said.

Canoe-kayak hassle

THE Philippine delegation had to pay an extra 7,000 baht (about P10,000) for airport taxes only to retrieve canoe-kayak equipment at the Bangkok airport.

Puentevella said the canoe-kayak team members had to wait 11 hours upon their arrival in Bangkok Sunday before being able to bring out their equipment because they did not possess the appropriate SEA Games papers.

The hosts have required all delegations to meticulously fill up baggage and equipment forms for proper processing at the airport. Apparently, the canoe-kayak association missed out on certain important items required by the documents.

“I hope we could reimburse the taxes which we paid for the equipment,” said Puentevella.

‘ONLY GOOD FOR 2ND’

NAKHON RATCHASIMA—The head of the Philippine delegation has conceded the fight to host Thailand, and the best the 2005 overall champion could hope for now is to finish second.

MOLINA MAKES IT 3; R.P.–21 MINTS AND ALL—FALLS TO 5TH

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NAKHON RATCHASIMA—Mitchel Martinez towed two other female boxers to the women’s finals Monday and the Philippines went well on its way to challenging the hosts’ obviously strong bid in the boxing competitions of the 24th Southeast Asian Games.

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Another humbling experience for GTK

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Without a plane ride, Toni pulls self out

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