By REYNALD MAGALLON
SANYA, China — The 6th Asian Beach Games ended the same way it started — in a true Chinese fashion: grand, dazzling and colorful — at the Yasha Park here on Thursday, April 30.
But the curtain closing on the successful return of the Beach Games after 10 years, marks the start of the preparations for the Philippines’ turn to deliver a world class hosting for the 2028 edition in Cebu.
And the country, fortunately, has enough steam heading into the next Games following its best performance ever in the Sanya edition.
“We were able to surpass our last performance in the ABG. In Da Nang, Vietnam in 2016, we had two gold medals. Here in Sanya, we got three, plus four silver, and two bronze,” Tolentino said.
“It also showed that we’re used to playing on beaches. Marami tayo niyan sa Pilipinas,” he added.
The three-gold, four-silver, two-bronze medal finish is actually the best haul for the Nationals in the biennial showpiece, beating their previous best of three-gold, two-silver and seven-bronze showing in the 2012 edition in Phuket, Thailand.
The Philippine team also finished fifth overall in the medal standings — the country’s best placing since 2012 where the country ended at the No. 11 spot.
“We should maximize it. This would be good preparation for our hosting in 2028. Again, we beat our previous record,” he added.
Vietnam finished fourth with a 3-5-5 tally while Iran ranked third (9-1-0). Thailand placed second (10-9-8) and host China lorded it over with 24 gold, 18 silver, and 13 bronze medals.
Delivering the golds for the Nationals are Alex Enriquez and Annie Ramirez in jiu-jitsu and Leonard Grospe in beach athletics.
The silvers came from the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 women’s team, women’s 4×60-meter race, grappler Emily Thomas, and young windsurfer Dhenvee Castillo.
The two bronze were copped by Laurance in the 60-meter dash and Kaila Napolis in jiu-jitsu, respectively.
Of course, hopes are high for the Nationals to further raise the bar, especially with the opportunity to field more athletes and even add games that work to the country’s strength.
