Wagdos pulls out; Alas regrets missed chances

Philippine record holder Sonny Wagdos has withdrawn from the 20th Asian Games men’s marathon event set for Sunday after falling ill ahead of the competition.

In a Facebook post, Wagdos revealed that he has been battling a high fever, forcing him to pull out of the event.

“I’m backing out of the marathon category due to high fever. I don’t know why; maybe it’s hard to adapt to the weather from hot to cold. Sayang talaga preparation namin,” Wagdos said.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association secretary general Jasper Tanhueco shared that Wagdos had already been dealing with illness and taking medication even before arriving in Nagoya.

“He’s feeling better now, but we consulted with Sonny and Coach Vertek. Siyempre, priority natin ang well-being ng athlete. Marathon ‘yun at hindi biro, especially given his condition now,” Tanhueco said.

The 32-year-old Philippine Air Force sergeant made history earlier this year at the Tokyo Marathon, where he clocked two hours, 14 minutes, and 32 seconds to break the 22-year-old Philippine marathon record previously held by his coach, two-time Olympian Eduardo “Vertek” Buenavista.

Wagdos was expected to lead the country’s marathon campaign alongside fellow Filipino runner Richard Salano.

Despite missing the marathon, Wagdos’ Asian Games stint may not be over. He is still expected to compete in the men’s 5,000-meter event on September 29, provided he has fully recovered from his illness.

Meanwhile, the Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball team of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons closed its group stage campaign with a 21-17 loss to Kazakhstan in Pool E. 

Rondina rued the setback, where they posted a 21-10 win in the second set after dropping the first set, 21-17. The Kazakhs, however, held on in the deciding set to secure a 15-10 victory in the deciding set.

“We missed the opportunity – that’s all I can say. But we’re still looking at the brighter side of things,” said Rondina, a veteran beach volleyball campaigner. 

Despite the setback, Rondina stressed that the team remains hopeful, knowing there is still a long way to go in the competition.

The focus now is on recovery, making adjustments and cleaning up their execution before their next match on 28 September. Their opponent will be determined on 27 September after all the matches have been completed.

“We need to prepare and improve our movement to bounce back. Whatever happens, we’ll rest, prepare and recover from this loss.”