CHONBURI, Thailand — Thailand’s hosting of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games has been criticized for alleged unfair judgment and calls.

Add to that the abrupt withdrawal of Cambodia due to the ongoing bloody border conflict with Thailand.

But despite all the controversies that marred the biennial meet, the Filipino athletes’ unshakable spirit of sportsmanship prevailed amid intense competition.

Practical shooter John Aeron Lanuza displayed honesty and sportsmanship, albeit his actions led to a minor spot on the podium.

On Day 1 of the men’s production individual event at the Eastern National Sport Training Center here, Lanuza incurred a procedural error (PE) in one of the stages.

Lanuza only realized the mistake after signing the ESS (electronic scoring system) tablet that the PE penalty was not included in his scores.

He consulted the Philippine squad’s team managers the following day about the incident.

In the spirit of fair play, Lanuza asked the range master to include the unrecorded penalty in his score, thus negatively affecting his standing on Day 2 of the competition.

A man of unquestionable integrity, Lanuza didn’t want to benefit from a scoring error.

He wanted to return to the country with his head held up high. His honor intact.

Unfazed, Lanuza gave it his best on the final day of competition, eventually securing the bronze medal in the event.