PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Gold medals were elusive for Team Philippines for the second straight day at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippines again was held to a solitary gold medal courtesy of Eric Cray, who reasserted his dominance in the men’s 400m hurdles which he ruled for the sixth successive SEA Games.
READ: Gilas suffers heavy defeat at hands of Cambodia
There were plenty of losses in other fronts, the most stinging the heavy defeat suffered by Gilas Pilipinas, 79-68, at the hands of a Cambodian team that stacked its lineup with athletic, hot-shooting naturalized players.
There is hope, however, for the Philippines with nine boxers reaching the gold-medal matches led by Carlo Paalam after he dispatched Edgar Foe Da Silva of Timor Leste in the bantamweight class.
Paul Julyfer Bascon knocked out Touch Davit of Cambodia on Thursday to also move into the gold medal bouts to be held this weekend.
The Philippines remained in sixth place with 27 gold medals, 51 silvers, and 66 bronzes, falling far behind fifth-running Singapore which pulled away with a 35-27-33 tally.
Vietnam is the leader in the medal tally with 58-57-71, followed closely by Cambodia with 56-44-55. Thailand is in third with 54-39-58, while Indonesia is in fourth with 42-34-58.
Notable silvers include the women’s sixes cricket team, the first-ever SEA Games medal of the Philippines in the sport, and the Sibol women’s team in the Mobile Legends Bang Bang in esports.
Ronald Oranza took the bronze in the men’s cycling criterium in Siem Reap as Francisco Dela Cruz also placed third in the men’s carom three-cushion.
In team sports, the Philippine women’s volleyball team advanced to the semifinals with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-13 win over Singapore after skipper and delegation flagbearer Alyssa Valdez finally got to play.
Gilas Pilipinas Women stayed unbeaten after two games with a 94-63 win over Singapore.
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