‘We won as one’

SEAG overall champion, ang galing ng Pinoy.

THE determination, unity, hard work and sacrifices of Filipino athletes, the Duterte administration, and sports officials led by Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) chairman and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano were among the reasons behind Team Philippines becoming overall champion of the 30th South East Asian Games (SEAG) once again.

Team Philippines’ top officials have already claimed that the country is the 30th SEAG overall champion.

As of press time Monday morning or the ninth day of the SEAG event, Team Philippines already got 113 gold medals, equalizing the country’s “winningest record” in SEAG history in 2005 where Team Philippines was the overall champion.

Indonesia is at second place, Vietnam in third spot and Thailand is at fourth place while Timor Leste already got a bronze medal.

Filipino athletes are expected to get more gold medals in the last two days of the biennial meet through boxing, e-sports and other events.

Kristina Knott even broke a 33-year-long record set by Lydia de Vega in the 200-meter run, clocking in at 23.07, which is faster than de Vega’s 23.35 record in 1986.

Through proper execution and solid blocking, Team Philippines men’s volleyball hammered out a victory over Thailand.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo got two gold medals and five silver medals while skateboarding champion Margielyn Didal and Wushu sensation Agatha Wong bagged two gold medals each.

SEAG hero and surfer Roger Casugay finally got the gold medal in longboard competition, beating Arip Nurhidayat.

Last December 6, Casugay rescued Arip and set aside the chance of winning the gold medal for the surfing competition.

Indonesian sports officials expressed gratitude to Casugay for saving Arip who was swept away and pounded by bomb of waves after his surfboard leash broke in the middle of the third round of the surfing men’s longboard competition at Monaliza Point in La Union.

It was Cayetano and Sen. Bong Go who convinced President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte to host the 30th SEAG in the Philippines.

At least P600,000 cash incentive awaits each Filipino SEAG gold medalist as members of the House of Representatives will give away a chunk of their salaries to raise P10 million cash reward for them.