From left, Mary Joy Tabal, June Mar Fajardo, Margielyn Didal, and Kim Remolino will be among the Cebuanos competing in the 30th Southeast Asian Games to be held in the Philippines. | file photos
(Updated, November 13, 2019) CEBU CITY, Philippines —Cebuano athletes will be among those competing for the Philippines in the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG), which the country will be hosting from November 30 to December 11, 2019.
Among the top Cebuano athletes expected to shine are Asian Games gold medalist in skateboarding Margielyn Didal, and three-time SEA Games gold medalist in judo, Kiyomi Watanabe.
Both were also reportedly tapped to be the flag bearers although this has yet to be confirmed by the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Read: Cebu’s Margielyn Didal among flag-bearers in Southeast Asian Games opening
Another noted Cebuano who will be competing is Marathon Queen and Olympian Mary Joy Tabal, who handed the Philippines its first gold medal in the 29th SEA Games held in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
Other Cebuanos who will once again be competing in this biennial multi-sporting event are Rinna Babanto in taekwondo, Rubilen Amit and Warren Kiamco in billiards, Niño Surban in cycling, sepak takraw’s Rheyjhey Ortouste and Metodio Suico, Greg Slaughter, Roger Pogoy, and June Mar Fajardo in basketball, and Sisi Rondina for beach volleyball.
Cebuanos who will be competing for the first time are triathlon’s Andrew Kim Remolino, dancesport pair of Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Cañeda, taekwondo’s Nica Garces (sparring) and Aidaine Laxa (poomsae), air rifle shooting’s Larry Avila (metallic silhoutte), wakeboarding’s Ralph Trinidad, weightlifting’s John Fabuar Ceniza and Elreen Ann Ando, arnis’ Dexler Bolambao, Obstacle Course Racing’s Sherwin Managuil, and rhythmic gymnastic’s Daniela Reggie dela Pisa.
There is also a Cebu team representing the country in e-sports. Cebu-based Team Adroit is composed of Marvin Salvador “Boomy” Rushton, John Anthony “Natsumi-” Vargas, Bryle Jacob “cml” Alvizo, Jun “Bok” Kanehara, and Mc Nicholson “Mac” Villanueva.
Read: Cebu’s Team Adroit proud, pressured to represent PH in Dota 2 SEA Games event
Some Cebuanos have also been tapped as coaches and officials.
Lone Cebuano olympian in weightlifting, Ramon Solis, has been named as coach of the national weightlifting team.
Crisaldo “Loloi” Rendon is the tournament director for dancesport while other officials are Gerald Cañete for arnis and Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez for cycling.
There are also two Cebuanos in the Philippine Under 22 for football training pool—Dean Ebarle and Ivan Ouano, although the lineup has yet to be finalized as of this posting.
The Philippines will have the biggest delegation at 1,868, broken down to 1,115 athletes and 753 coaches.
Aside from the Philippines, 10 other Southeast Asian countries are competing in 530 events that comprises 56 sports.
Other countries competing are Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei and Timor-Leste. /bmjo