ANOTHER multisport event is upon us with the 2021 Southeast Asian Games set to open on May 12 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Philippines goes for a repeat of the overall championship it won in 2019 but face a tough task with the number of sports down to 39 from 56.
Backstopping Team Philippines’ campaign in the SEA Games will be the athletes who competed in the most recent multisport conclave, the 2020 Olympics.
See Azkals U23, PH men's beach handball team open SEAG campaign on high note
Here is the list of Tokyo Olympians who will once again look to make the country proud.
HIDILYN DIAZ
Hidilyn Diaz is among the top gold contenders in the Philippine team.
The country’s first Olympic gold medalist will be seeing action in the SEA Games where she is again expected to breeze through the competition in the women’s 55-kilogram category.
NESTHY PETECIO
The Olympic silver medalist will also be back in the ring in the SEA Games, but it will be in a higher weight category of lightweight (60 kilograms) instead of featherweight (57 kilograms) which she ruled in 2019 in Manila and where she competed in Tokyo.
EUMIR MARCIAL
The Tokyo bronze medalist will defend his featherweight crown in the SEA Games. Marcial is expected to be in tip-top shape for the biennial meet after winning over Isiah Hart last April in his second professional fight.
EJ OBIENA
EJ Obiena is back with the national squad.
After the settlement of the controversy between him and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, the Filipino pole vaulter is back on the national squad and expected to win the SEA Games event and repeat his achievement in 2019.
CALOY YULO
He will be looking to repeat in the all-around and floor, but seeks medals in other events after topping the vault and placing second in the parallel bars in last year’s World Championship in Kitakyushu, Japan.
CRIS NIEVAREZ
Gaining valuable experience from his Tokyo stint as well as silver finish in the Asian Indoor Virtual Rowing Championships, the Filipino rower defends his SEA Games gold in the lightweight single sculls.
JAYSON VALDEZ
The Filipino shooter will vie for his first gold medal in the SEA Games in the men’s 10m air rifle.
KURT BARBOSA
He will defend his SEAG men’s 58kg gold in Hanoi after his stint in the Olympics that saw him being ousted by Korean top seed Jang Jun in Tokyo.
ELREEN ANDO
After placing seventh in the Olympics, Ando will be out to go for the gold in the SEA Games after a silver in the women’s 64kg class in 2019.
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