PH ready for Asiad wars

THE PHILIPPINES’ Christian Standhardinger drives to the basket during their men’s basketball match against Kazakhstan at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta on Thursday. AP JAKARTA — A fighting delegation that hurdled all kinds of adversities proudly raised its colors Thursday to formally announce its arrival and readiness to compete against the heavyweights of the region in the 18th Asian Games here.

Deputy chief of mission Robert Bachmann spearheaded the brief but emotional ceremony at the sprawling Athletes Village in nearby Kemayoran area with the noble mission of surpassing one of their most forgettable Asian Games finishes ever of one gold, three silver and 11 bronze medals in the previous edition in Incheon, Korea.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) William “Butch” Ramirez as well as a handful of members of the secretariat from both the Philippine Olympic Committee and PSC were also there to witness the flag-raising ceremony, together with some athletes who have already checked in at the athletes’ village.

Athletes from men’s basketball, gymnastics, windsurfing, taekwondo and golf were already there prior the raising of the country’s colors while chief of mission Richard Gomez as well as those from sailing, gymnastics, taekwondo, wushu, shooting, golf, wrestling, swimming, women’s softball and fencing checked in late Thursday night.

The netters, bowlers and sepak takraw athletes also flew out of Manila late Thursday, but they headed to the South Sumatran Province capital of Palembang respective events will be held.

Palembang will also host soft tennis, women’s football, rowing, triathlon, sports climbing, beach volleyball, shooting and roller sports.

Aside from Jakarta and Palembang, the Indonesian Organizing Committee also tapped Banten and West Java to serve as satellite venues.

Flag-bearer Jordan Clarkson — the National Basketball Association stalwart that top sports officials fought so hard for to have here — is also here after taking a back-breaking flight from Los Angeles to Singapore en route to Jakarta Wednesday night.

He and his trainer Demetrius Deshae O’Neal, however, will stay in a separate hotel outside the Village due to late registration.

The Philippines will be sending a total of 272 athletes in 31 sports, which is a way bigger contingent than the 159 athletes deployed in the previous staging of the Asian Games.

Still, the amount of challenges that the squad went through is one for the books.

Initially, the chief of mission was supposed to be POC treasurer Julian Camacho, who already identified around 165 competitors using a very strict set of criteria in the selection process.

But with Ricky Vargas clinching the POC presidency over Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco in a court-ordered election last February, the preparation was scratched and Vargas appointed Gomez to helm the national delegation.

Preparations took a major blow when the PSC demanded full liquidation of a previous financial assistance that made it hard for Gomez to find a chunk of the P72-million fund to pay the suppliers.

When the smoke cleared, another problem emerged.

An ugly brawl between Gilas Pilipinas and Australia in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier broke out, prompting the world-governing body in basketball to slap both countries with suspensions and penalties.

Five Asian Games-bound players got suspended, prompting the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to withdraw its team from this prestigious quadrennial conclave.

But with Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Bong” Go brokering the talks, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) revived its plan of sending the core of Rain or Shine to provide support and push through with the cagers’ Asian Games participation with barely a couple of weeks before the opening match of the men’s basketball competition.

The biggest concern, however, was Clarkson’s availability.

After the NBA initially declined his participation, saying the Asian Games is not part of its commitment, top sports officials from the POC, SBP and the government went made two appeals.

Even Gomez and Bachmann had to leave the entire Philippine Team for a while to help appeal before the INASGOC and Olympic Council of Asia to allow them to insert Clarkson despite his late arrival.

The league softened on its stand and sent Clarkson at the very last minute, keeping him out of the squad’s first match against Kazakhstan.

Still, the Filipino-American playmaker will get to lead the athletes in the traditional parade of colors before suiting up in the important battle against China next week.

Bachmann is optimistic that the Nationals will turn all of these distractions into something positive — an impressive performance against the best 10,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries.

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s fountain of hope after emerging with a silver medal in the Olympics in 2016 and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) last year, is said to have a handsome chance at clinching the gold after her main rival from Chinese Taipei had retired while those from China remain suspended.

Also tipped to deliver are gymnast Carlos Yulo, jiu-jitsu specialists Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez, boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and the poomsae squad of Rodolfo Reyes Jr., Dustin Jacob Mella and Raphael Enrico Mella.

“Everybody is prepared for the Asian Games in their respective sports. Basketball already won its first match,” Bachmann told Daily Tribune whose coverage of the Asiad is supported by Primehomes.