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Spotlight turns on Pinoy athletes, as SEA Games action officially begins

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/11/30/20191130-national-triathletes.jpg"/><figcaption>National triathletes John Chicano (from left), Nikko Huelgas, Julius Constantino and Andrew Kim Remolino during the national games in Cebu last year. Chicano and Remolino are competing in the SEA Games on Sunday. Handout/file</figcaption></figure></div><h3>Triathletes in position to deliver Team PH&#x27;s first gold</h3>MANILA, Philippines—A day after the Philippines celebrated National Heroes&#x27; Day, the search for new homegrown sports champions begins, as action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games goes full blast on Sunday. Several sports are bidding to deliver the country&#x27;s first gold medal in the regional competition, hoping to spark the Filipinos&#x27; campaign regaining the overall crown they last held in the 2005 SEA Games.Gold No. 1 could come from triathlon, which starts just after sunrise.Filipino triathletes eye another golden double with a sweep of the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s events at Subic Bay Boardwalk inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.The men&#x27;s event starts at 6 a.m., while the women&#x27;s begin at 8:15 a.m.Back-to-back SEA Games men&#x27;s champion Nikko Huelgas is not competing, so the focus on the men&#x27;s side will be on John Chicano, silver medalist in the 2017 SEA Games, and Cebuano phenom Kim Remolino.Olympic hopeful Kim Mangrobang is favored to retain her title in the women&#x27;s division, with compatriot Kim Kilgroe emerging as her main rival for the title.Mangrobang and Kilgroe finished seventh and ninth, respectively, in the 2018 Asian Games.The hope is that the national triathlon team duplicates the Philippines&#x27; finish in Kuala Lumpur two years ago, where the country finished 1-2 in both gender divisions.Also starting off early and hoping to produce opening-day gold are the cyclists in the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s mountain bike downhill races in Laurel town, Batangas, featuring Eleazar Barba and John Derrick Farr in the first race, and Lea Denise Belgira and Naomi Gardoce on the distaff side.In Calatagan town, Batangas, the national polo team targets a first gold in SEA Games history when the Philippines battles Malaysia in the 4-6 high goal event. <div>YULO TO DOMINATE FIELD?</div>Meanwhile, expecting to make a rousing debut in the regional tournament on Sunday night is men’s floor-exercise world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo, who is favored to rule the all-around event in artistic gymnastics at the newly renovated Rizal Memorial Coliseum.The Olympic-bound Yulo, who has been training in Tokyo for the past three years under Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, is tipped to gobble up a majority -- if not all -- of the seven gold up for grabs in his division.Hoping to make their contribution in the medal tally are the arnis practitioners, whose sport is returning to these Games for the first time since 2005, the last time the country, the birthplace of the martial art, hosted.To be held at Angeles University Foundation gym in Angeles city, Pampanga, the arnis team includes Dexter Bolambao (men’s below-55 kilograms), Nino Talledo (men’s 55-60 kg), Villardo Cunamay (men’s above 60 kg) and Mike Banares (men’s above 65-kg.), according to head coach Richard Gialogo.The women’s arnis side is composed of Jezebel Morcillo (below 60 kg), Jude Rodriguez (50-55 kg.), Eza Rai Yalong (55-60 kg.) and Erl Busacay (above 60).For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Early risers in triathlon and cycling want the Philippines to hit the ground running with a bagful of gold medals at stake on Sunday.

Early risers in triathlon and cycling want the Philippines to hit the ground running with a bagful of gold medals at stake on Sunday.