ASIAN GAMES: Hurdler Tolentino, esports Team Sibol snatch bronze medals

MANILA – Team Philippines added two more bronze medals to its 20th Asian Games haul in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday.

Athletics’ John Cabang Tolentino placed third in the men’s 110-meter hurdles while esports Team Sibol climbed the podium after the Pokémon Unite contest.

Tolentino clocked 13.48 seconds behind China’s Chen Yuanjiang (13.15) and Japan’s Rachid Muratake (13.29).

Team Sibol started its campaign with a DNS (Did Not Start), along with Kazakhstan, due to a uniform-related issue.

It then recovered with victories over Chinese Taipei, 2-0; Malaysia, 2-0; and Hong Kong in the quarterfinals, 2-0, to secure the bronze, before yielding to eventual silver medalist Indonesia in the semifinals, 0-2, at Aichi Sky Expo.

The team is composed of Kim Rey Salazar, Robert Jon Mempin, Michael Vaughn Ocio, Lance David, Ducke Harnold Leoncio and Lawrence Anthony Gatmaitan under head coach Albert Camp.

Japan won the gold while South Korea also snared bronze after losing to the host in the other semifinals.

As of posting time, the Philippines has a 2-2-8 gold-silver-bronze tally.

Thailand is the best-placed Southeast Asian team (9-7-10), followed by Malaysia (6-2-8). Indonesia and Singapore also have 2 gold medals each.

China remained the runaway leader (118-48-38), followed by Japan (37-60-57) and South Korea (20-23-29).

Earlier, veteran Janry Ubas made it to the men's long jump final.

The 2023 Cambodia Southeast Asian Games gold medalist cleared 7.59 meters on his second attempt at Mizuho Park Stadium, placing eighth overall in a field of 12 finalists.

Uzbekistan's Anvar Anvarov led all qualifiers with 8.00 meters.

"Gusto ko talaga maka-produce ng medalya kasi pang-third time ko na ito. Next time, 36 or 37 na ako (I really want to produce a medal because this is already my third time here. By the next edition, I will already be 36 or 37 years old)," he added.

The other Filipino medalists are gymnastics' Carlos Yulo (2 golds); mixed martial arts' Jean Claude Saclag and women’s 3×3 basketball (silver); and the women’s soft tennis team, mixed martial arts' Carlos Alvarez, gymnastics' Karl Eldrew Yulo, weightlifting's Albert Ian Delos Santos, and karate's Marie June Adriano and women’s kata team (bronze). (PNA)