SEAG Athletics: Team PH wins golds in long jump, 400m
Team Philippines immediately made its presence felt at the start of the athletics competition in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.
Beijing Olympics veteran Henry Dagmil reigned supreme in the men's long jump event while the tandem of Archand Christian Bagsit and Edgardo Alejan essayed an astonishing gold-silver medal finish in the men's 400m run at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw, sending a strong message the Filipinos are indeed for real in the track and field event.
Barely a week after he celebrated his 32nd birthday, Dagmil showed he still remains one of the region’s finest as he jumped a distance of 7.80 meters that proved enough to upstage longtime tormentor, Supanara Sukhasvasti of Thailand, who finished second with 7.71 meters. Vietnam bet Van Lam Pham of Vietnam came in third with 7.53 meters.
"He's back," beamed athletics coach Joseph Sy, who disclosed Dagmil achieved the feat in his second jump after tallying 7.41 in his first attempt.
"When he saw his first jump, he felt that there's still a bigger room to improve. So he corrected his form and did his best to surpass it in his second try."
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Not to be outdone were Alejan and Bagsit, with the latter winning the gold with a time of 47.22 ticks and the former clocking in a close second at 47.45.
"Maganda ang pacing ko. Hindi ako sumabay sa field," said the 22-year-old Bagsit.
Sy also disclosed their grand plan paid off quickly. “Malakas siya (Bagsit) sa last 200 meters. Kaya ang naging strategy nila ay paunahin si Alejan para maubos ang hangin ng mga kalaban. Mula dun, hahabulin na lang ni Bagsit,” he said.
Also delivering the goods for the PH team on Day 1 of the athletics were Arnel Ferrera, who claimed the silver medal in men's hammer throw, and Riezel Buenaventura, who snatched the bronze medal women's pole vault.
Ferrera heaved 61.18 meters, exactly 1.05 meters adrift of eventual gold medal winner Tantipong Phetchaya of Thailand.
Meanwhile, Buenaventura made a jump of 3.80 meters, good for third spot, while Thai bet Sukanya Chomcheundee (4.21m) and Vietnamese Thi Phuong Le (4.10) finished first and second, respectively.
