PH polo team targets better finish than 2019
The Philippines’ men’s polo squad gets its bid in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games going on Thursday, as it sees action in the handicap 2-4 goals event in Samut Prakan, Thailand.
The Filipinos take on Indonesia at 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Philippine time) at VS Sports Club located south of Bangkok in one of the events that will be held before the formal opening of the Games on Dec. 9.
The football squad, meanwhile, opens its medal hunt on Friday (not Tuesday, as earlier reported) with the U22 men’s team, battling Myanmar. The Filipinas will also be facing Myanmar for its opening game, but unlike in the men’s side, the women’s side will have no age restrictions.
Filipinas core
That means the core of the Filipinas side that represented the Philippines in the Women’s World Cup will bolster the SEA Games squad.
Polo is returning to the SEA Games after it was struck off the calendar in Hanoi during the pandemic-delayed 2021 edition and in Cambodia in 2023.
The Philippines held the 0-2 low goal and 4-6 high goal meets at the 2019 Games in Calatagan, Batangas, won by Brunei and Malaysia, respectively.
This year’s Games will also feature the 4-6 event, where the Philippines finished with a silver in 2019.
Seven athletes comprise the Philippine team in the 2-4 event, led by Stefano Juban, who was part of the 0-2 and 4-6 teams that took bronze and silver medals, respectively, in 2019.
Five participants
Also in the team are Juan Xavier Tengco, Eduardo Miguel Lopez, Angelo Abelardo Gerard Licaros, Patrick Antonio Cruz and Jose Maria Augusto de Jesus.
The Philippines and Indonesia are among the five teams in the competition, joining host Thailand, Brunei and Malaysia.
Thailand is the Philippines’ other opponent set for Saturday at the same venue.
The top four teams will advance to the semifinals set on Dec. 8, with the winners advancing to the final and losers playing for bronze on Dec. 10.
Other notable events that are going to start for the Philippines before the opening ceremonies at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium are baseball, badminton, ice hockey, handball and cricket.
