By REY C. LACHICA
HANGZHOU, China – A group of media men from Thailand roared and chanted something in sheer delight inside the massive Main Media Center of the 19th Asian Games late Monday when taekwondo jin Panipak Wongpattanakit won the country’s first gold.
Not only did she clinch the precious metal, she also reduced Chinese rival Guo Qing to tears after their duel in the women’s -49-kilogram class, an event where our own bet Veronica Garces managed only to reach the round-of-16.
But the Thai’s victory was expected, though.
She’s is the current Olympic and world champion.
So at the end of the second day of intense action, Indonesia is leading the medal race among SEAG rivals with 1 gold 1 silver and 4 bronze medals, followed by Thailand with 1-0-2, and Vietnam (0-1-5).
The biggest revelation was Brunei with one silver, slightly ahead of the Philippines with 2 bronze medals.
When will the country pick up its fist gold?
Well, perhaps that will come on Saturday when EJ Obiena finally competes.
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann are praying hard for that to happen.
POC chief cries ‘foul’
POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino was so incensed with the judging in skateboarding that involved Filipino Jojit Francisco that he raised a howl of protest.
Francisco, 21, was running second behind eventual gold medal winner Chinese Ye Chen before he slipped and tumbled down to fourth place at the QT QT Roller Sports Centre.
“We were robbed of the bronze,” said the POC chief, who was one of PH officials who watched the game.
His bone of contention? Francisco performed much better than bronze winner Kensuke Sasaoka of Japan.
“D bale yung second placer (Yuro Nagahara also of Japan) dahil magaling talaga” said Tolentino.
Francisco lost the bronze by mere .8.
Seal of approval
No less than IOC supremo Thomas Bach showered the host city with glowing words as he toured various sites and exchanged commemorative pins with officials and volunteers.
He confidently said that Hangzhou successfully raised the standard of hosting starting with the opening ceremony.
With the host nation’s digital expertise, Bach is looking forward for a resounding success of the Games.
He said the use of digital technologies further optimized speed and smoothness of the daily operation even at the Main Media Center.
