HANGZHOU – The Philippine men’s 3×3 team moved on the verge of completing a sweep of its Pool A assignment in the 19th Asian Games after carving out a 21-15 win over Hong Kong on Wednesday at the Deqing Geographic Information Park Basketball Court.

John Ray Pasaol and Bismarck Lina accounted for more than half of the team’s output in its third straight win in their group.

Lina and Pasaol had seven points each while presiding over a short but telling run that turned the game around in favor of the Filipinos.

Held to a 4-4 standoff, the two sparked four straight points by the Gilas team to take the lead for good at 8-4.

Justin Sanchez and JB Sajonia finished with four and three points, respectively.

Despite already being assured of advancing in the quarterfinal qualifications, Gilas wants nothing but an outright berth in the knockout stage, which it can clinched with a win over Mongolia on Friday for a sweep of the group stage.

“Yun ang gusto namin. Win as many games,” said head coach Lester Del Rosario.

Gilas will take a needed rest on Thursday.

After the Philippines, running second in Group A is Chinese Taipei (2-1), Mongolia (1-1), Jordan (0-2) and Hong Kong (0-2).

The top team in each group will automatically earn a quarterfinal slot, while the next two teams will make it to the qualifications where the four other quarterfinalists will be determined.

Image Courtesy of Philippine Women’s National Football Team Official Facebook Page

HANGZHOU – A stinging 5-1 defeat in the hands of South Korea last Monday is not the end of the road for the Philippine women’s football team in the 19th Asian Games here.

With an even 1-1 record following a 3-1 victory over Hong Kong and the huge loss to the 2018 Asian Games bronze medalists, the Filipinas still remain in contention.

“May chance pa naman. May Myanmar game pa tayo,” said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano Araneta Tuesday morning.

However, it’s not all in the hands of the Filipinas if they are to advance even if they beat world No. 51 Myanmar on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium.

There are five groups of three teams each, and only the top team in each group will advance outright. The three other slots to the quarterfinals will go to the top three among the remaining teams.

Mariano said it remains a must-win game against Myanmar. Then the Philippines, ranked No. 44, will have to wait for the final results of the other groups.

“Ang importante talunin natin ang Myanmar. Then we hope for the best that we land in the top three among the remaining teams,” he added.

“If we beat Myanmar we have six points. Then we have a chance depending on the goal difference of the other teams,” Mariano said.

Against the South Koreans, the Filipinas scored first courtesy of Sarina Bolden in the eighth minute. But that proved to be the last as the South Koreans took control of the match the rest of the way.

The South Koreans equalized in the 12th minute then piled up the goals in the 44th, 52nd, 56th and 70th minutes en route to the runaway victory.

“Hindi masyado nag-click ‘yung defenders natin pero ganyan talaga ang laro. What’s important is that we still have a chance,” Mariano said. (ai/mnm)

HANGZHOU – The Philippine Athletics’ team tasked to end a three-decade medal drought in the Asian Games is expected to arrive in Hangzhou, China in three batches, led by Southeast Asian Games’ long jump champion Janry Ubas and company on Tuesday.

Ubas, the current SEA Games’ long-jump record holder at 8.08 meters, is planing in from Manila on Tuesday with Ronnie Malipay, Sarah Dequinan, Robyn Brown, Kristina Knott, Angel Frank, Lauren Hoffman, Athletics’ Secretary General and team manager Edward Kho, his Deputy Jasper Tanhueco and coach Dario de Rosas.

Coming in on Wednesday are John Tolentino, Willie Morrison and Eric Cray, before coach Isidro Del Prado, Michael del Prado, Joyme Sequita, Frederick Ramirez, Umajesty Williams, Jessel Lumapas and Maureen Schrijvers arrive on Sept. 30.

Only Asia’s top pole vaulter and world’s no. 2 Ernest John Obiena, who did the Philippine flag-carrying duty on Saturday night in the opening ceremonies, is so far accounted for.

“The Philippine Athletics Team is raring to see action in Hangzhou. We are keen on contributing to a distinctive Asian Games’ campaign for Team Philippines. Our athletes are ready,” said Kho, who acknowledged the support of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and team sponsors ICTSI and CEL Logistics, Inc. to the Filipinos’ campaign.

The Philippines’ brightest bet naturally has to be Obiena, who is raring to bounce back from his seventh-place finish with a mere 5.3 meters in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. The 27-year-old Obiena has improved significantly since then, with a personal best of 6.00 meters, also the Asian record.

If he lives up to his status as favorite here, Obiena will be the first Filipino to bag a medal in the Asiad athletics since Elma Muros-Posadas brought home the bronze in the women’s long jump of the 1994 quadrennial meet in Hiroshima, Japan.

Obiena shoots for the gold on Sept. 30, the same day heptathlete Dequinan plunges into action at the 55,893-seat Huanglong Sports Center.

A day before, though, Knott and Ubas saw action in the 100-meters and long jump, respectively.

On Oct. 1, Knott also takes part in the 200 meters, while Tolentino and Morrison test their mettle in the 110-m hurdles and shotput, respectively.

Brown and SEA Games’ 200-m legend Cray then join the hostilities on Oct. 2 in the 400m, before the 4×400 relay teams of (women) Schrijvers, Manibog, Hoffman and Frank, and (men) Williams, Prado, Sequita and Ramirez, take the field, with triple-jumper jumper Malipay.

(ai/mnm)