HIGHLIGHTS: SEA Games 2023 – May 9

Philippines cruises to one-sided pounding of international neophyte Cambodia

The Philippine women’s volleyball team cruised to a rousing debut in Cambodia with a brutal 25-5, 25-5, 25-5 destruction of the host nation, which fielded a women’s volleyball team for the first time in history.

Dell Palomata, Mylene Paat, and Tots Carlos took turns decimating the opposition in a clear mismatch, as the Cambodians only scored less than 5 points that did not come off errors from the Philippines.

Despite being in the active lineup, team captain Alyssa Valdez was not fielded in the game as she continues to recover from a major knee injury.

(READ: PH decimates international neophyte Cambodia in women’s volley debut)

Swimmer Salvino sets SEA Games, PH record

Teia Salvino ruled the women’s swimming 100m backstroke, setting a new SEA Games and national record of 1:01.64.

(READ: Teen swimmer Teia Salvino sets SEA Games, PH backstroke record)

Janry Ubas picks up long jump gold

Trackster Janry Ubas leapt towards top honors in the men’s long jump event after clearing 7.85 meters in the final round.

Ubas secured the Philippines’ 23rd gold medal, nosing out Vietnam’s Tien Trong Nguyen (7.6600), and Indonesia’s Sapwaturrahman Sapwaturrahman (7.6200).

(READ: Janry Ubas bags elusive SEA Games gold after eight-year wait)

Filipinas triumph but semis hope ends

Despite a 2-1 win against defending champion Vietnam, the Philippine women’s football team is going home due to an inferior goal difference against Myanmar.

The Burmese scored 5 goals against opponent Malaysia in a game which ran parallel to the Filipinas, thus obtaining a +3 goal difference.

Captain Hali Long scored the go-ahead header in the 83rd minute, breaking a 1-1 tie made by Vietnam’s Thi Bich Thuy Nguyen in the 41st minute.

Sarina Bolden opened the scoring in the 12th minute on a penalty kick after Isabella Flanigan was fouled in the penalty box by the Vietnamese goalkeeper.

(READ: Filipinas end semis hope despite upset of Vietnam)

Carlos Yulo captures 2nd gymnastics gold

Carlos Yulo concluded his tour of duty in the SEA Games by capturing his second gold, this time in the parallel bars, scoring a total of 14.850 points.

Vietnam’s Phuong Thanh Dinh was adjudged second best with 14.000, while Malaysia’s Ng Chun Chen rounded out the podium finishers with 13.100.

The victory came a day after the Filipino Olympian completed a three-peat in the men’s individual all-around. He also won silver medals in the the still rings and team event.

(READ: Yulo rules parallel bars to cap stellar PH campaign in SEA Games gymnastics)

Gilas Pilipinas wallops Malaysia in campaign opener

Gilas Pilipinas opened its title redemption bid in SEA Games men’s basketball with a dominant 94-49 win over Malaysia.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser topscored with 15 points, while Justin Brownlee scored 11.

UAAP standout Michael Phillips debuted with 9 points, 15 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.

(READ: Gilas opens SEA Games campaign with 45-point rout of Malaysia)

(LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Malaysia – SEA Games 2023 men’s basketball)

Gymnast Juancho Besana reigns in vault

Juancho Miguel Besana secured Philippine gymnastics’ third gold after ruling the men’s vault.

Besana leapt to a competition-best 14.125 points, ahead of Thailand’s Tikumporn Surintornta (14.150), and Vietnam’s Hai Khang Trinh (14.050).

Carlos Yulo relinquishes rings gold, settles for runner-up

Carlos Yulo lost his top spot in the still rings event, finishing at 14.00, just 0.2 points behind Vietnam’s Van Khanh’s 14.20.

The silver-medal finish in the apparatus final came just a day after the Filipino Olympian completed a three-peat in the men’s individual all-around and copped a silver in the team event. 

Gilas Pilipinas up big at halftime

Gilas Pilipinas came out in complete control over Malaysia after two quarters, 58-22, at the start of its SEA Games redemption campaign.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser led the Philippines at the half with 11 points, while young guns Jerom Lastimosa and Mason Amos, along with veterans CJ Perez and Marcio Lassiter, chipped in 6 points each.

(LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Malaysia – SEA Games 2023 men’s basketball)

Gymnast John Ivan Cruz bags floor exercise gold

Artistic gymnast John Ivan Cruz soared his way to the top of the men’s floor exercise event, garnering the most points en route to the gold medal.

Cruz scored 13.850 points out of a possible 15.000, ahead of Vietnam’s Thanh Tung Le (12.350), and hometown bet Vey Pheaktra (12.200)

It was the 20th gold medal overall for the Philippines.

(READ: Ivan Cruz seizes chance to provide for family after SEA Games gymnastics gold)

Gilas Pilipinas’ redemption bid tips off

After settling for a silver-medal finish in last year’s SEA games, Gilas Pilipinas’ road to redemption begins.

(LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Malaysia – SEA Games 2023 men’s basketball)

Preview

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Team Philippines banks on gymnastics star Carlos Yulo to deliver anew as it looks to rev up its campaign for more gold medals on Tuesday, May 9, with one week to go in the Southeast Asian Games here.

A day after clinching a third straight men’s individual all-around crown, Yulo competes for two additional gold medals in the still rings and parallel bars.

Yulo nailed gold in still rings and silver in parallel bars last year in Vietnam, where he finished his campaign as the Philippines’ most bemedaled athlete for the second consecutive SEA Games.

He seeks to achieve that feat for a third year in a row as he guns for a four-medal haul after also leading the way for the Philippines to a silver in the men’s team all-around.

Over in basketball, Gilas Pilipinas starts its redemption bid after a surprising silver-medal finish in the previous SEA Games.

The Philippines will open the men’s 5-on-5 basketball competitions against Malaysia in Group A, where it is also bunched with host Cambodia and Singapore.

Athletics and swimming are also expected to contribute after EJ Obiena captured a third straight men’s pole vault title and Xiandi Chua broke the SEA Games record in women’s 200m backstroke on the way to the gold.

In women’s volleyball, the Philippine team led by the country’s flag bearer and team captain Alyssa Valdez also kicks off its campaign again host Cambodia.

The World Cup-bound Filipinas also hope to boost their chances in a women’s football preliminary match against Vietnam.

Boxers Irish Magno (women’s -54kg) and Riza Pasuit (women’s 63kg) see action in their respective semifinal duel, with a win guaranteeing both fighters at least a silver.

Medals are up for grabs in vovinam, diving, and kun khmer.

A Twitter List by RapplerSports

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