By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Football and beach handball kick off the country’s campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam as preliminaries start Friday.
The beach handball team clashes with 2019 silver medalist Thailand at the Bac Ninh Sports University Gymnasium to jumpstart its bid of eclipsing its bronze-medal finish at the 2019 edition that the country hosted.
After Thailand, the team will face defending champion Vietnam on Saturday and Singapore on Sunday.
They will take again Thailand on Monday, Vietnam on Tuesday and Singapore on Wednesday in the double-round robin format.
The team is fielding the same lineup that won the SEAG bronze the previous edition composed of Daryoush Zandi, Dhane Miguelle Varela, Josef Maximilliam Valdez, Rey Joshua Tabuzo, John Michael Pasco, Jamael Pangandaman, Manuel Lasangue Jr., Andrew Michael Harris, Mark Vincent Dubouzet and Van Jacob Baccay.
Meantime, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino wished the beach handball and men’s football athletes good luck.
“To our ‘Fighting Team Philippines,’ I wish you good luck,” said Tolentino, who’ll fly to Hanoi on Wednesday, a day before the opening ceremony at the 40,000-seat My Dinh Stadium, the same venue where Vietnam opened its initial hosting of the biennial games in 2003.
Tolentino, however, reminded the 641-strong Team Philippines to stay safe from Covid-19.
Three athletes tested positive after their RT-PCR tests and according to Tolentino, two of them were cleared after a second test while the third has yet to yield a negative result. Their identities and sports were not disclosed.
The PH booters, for their part, also aim for a semifinal finish as they open their campaign against Timor Leste at the Viet Tri Stadium.
They are drawn alongside 2019 winner Vietnam, which they will face on May 8, and Myanmar, which they will collide with on May 10.
Odds are stacked against coach Norman Fegidero’s side, but they are taking a step-by-step approach as the Filipinos hope to make some surprises in the group stage.
Football competitions in the SEA Games are restricted to under-23 but each country could field two athletes from its seniors squad.
Stephan Schrock, 35, and Joven Bedic Hervas, 31, lead the team composed of Enrique Fernandez, Enrico Alañanon, Scott Philip Galang, Francis Palogan, Jaime Domingo, Christian Mangaron, Sandro Miguel Sison, Geri Veliganio, Jacob Reyes, Matt Ocampo, Miguel Antonio Pangcog, Quincy Boltron, Jayvee Solon, Yrick Rapisura, Jermi Navarro, Dennis Salazar, Oliver Saludares, and Oskari Kekkonen.