THE Philippines began day with two gold medals from its triathletes, triggering a blitz that had it adding nine more by sunset to surge to the top of the overall medal standings in first of the 30th 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
The Filipinos thus far have 11 gold medals, four silvers and four bronze medals, followed by Vietnam (3-5-2), Thailand (1-0-4, Malaysia (1-0-0), Indonesia (0-2-2), Brunei (0-2-0), Singapore, (0-1-2) and Myanmar (0-1-1).
Cambodia and Timor Leste have yet to win a medal.
The Vietnamese clinched their first gold medal in cycling’s mountain bike cross country event, courtesy of Dinh Thi Nhu Quynh.
Vietnam later added another gold medal in weightlifting behind the exploits VuongThu Huyen in weightlifting (-45 kg, women’s).
The Vietnamese snatched another gold medal from a dominant Philippine side in dancesport, as partners Nguyen Duc Hoa and Nguyen Thi Hai Yen topped the Single Dance – Quickstep category.
Except for that setback, the Filipino dancers waltzed their way to five gold medals in the discipline.
The pairs of Mark Jayson Corales Gayon & Renigen Mary Joy Guiao and that of Sean Mischa Aranar & Ana Leonila Manalo Nualla collected five gold medals between them.
Agatha Wong, meanwhile, ably defended her title for the gold in women’s taolu taijiquan event of wushu.
The Filipinos also scored big in arnis, a sport they invented, as they won four gold medals behind Dexter Bolambao, who topped the men’s live stick (bantamweight division); Nino Mark Tolledo in the men’s live stick (featherweight); Villardo Cunamay in men’s live stick (lightweight) and Mike Bañares in the welterweight division.
The Filipinos won two more gold medals in sepak takraw, as it men’s team reigned supreme, while Sean Aranar topped the women’s hoop event.
Meanwhile, Brunei Darussallam, Malaysia and Thailand each had a gold medal to show in Day 1, but is expected to add more in the next ten days of competition.
Brunei clinched its first gold in the Taolu Nandao/Nangun Combine in Wushu, courtesy of Mohammad Adi Salihin Ros while Malaysia, the defending overall champion, also stole a gold in wushu (Taolu Tajiquan) behind Loh Choon How.
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