MANILA, July 13 — Top Filipino figure skaters Michael Christian Martinez, Samantha Mary Lynn Cabiles and speed skater Kathryn Magno will banner the country’s campaign in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 20-year old Martinez is the first skater from Southeast Asia to qualify for the Olympics and the only athlete to represent the Philippines at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He started skating in 2005.
Cabiles, 19, who is based in Michigan (US), competed in the 2017 Asian Winter Games where she placed 14th in the short program, 16th in the free skate, and 15th overall. Speed skater, Magno, 27, the oldest member of the five-man team, who is based in San Jose, California, was named in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan.
Magno, former figure skater was the first to win a medal in speed skating for the Philippines in an international meet outside the country.
The other members of the team are Alisson Krystle Perticheto and Jules Vince Alipe.
The 19-year old Perticheto’s career highlights include — 2017 Egna Spring Trophy champion, 2015 Skate Helena (silver) and the national champion (2014).
For the first time five sports including two winter sports — figure skating and ice hockey — are included in the 29th edition of the SEA Games. The other debuting events are bridge, cricket, ice hockey, and Tarung Derajat.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said a total of 498 athletes will be seeing action in 38 sports events that include — aquatics (swimming, water polo, open water and synchronized); archery; athletics; badminton; basketball (men and women); bowling (tenpin); boxing; billiards; cycling; equestrian; dressage (show jumping); fencing; football; golf; gymnastics (artistics, rhythmic); indoor hockey; ice hockey; judo; karate-do; lawn bowls; netball; pencak silat; muay; petanque; rugby 75; sailing; sepak takraw; shooting; squash; table tennis; taekwondo; tennis; triathlon; volleyball; wushu; weighlifting (men); and water ski.
Cynthia Carreon, president of the local gymnastics association and the country’s Chef-de-mission is hopeful that Team Philippines will harvest 50 golds, surpassing its 26 gold haul in the 2015 edition (Singapore).
Earlier, Philippine Sports Commission chair William “Butch” Ramirez, said this year’s participation in the biennial meet “is critical” for the country’s direction in sports. (Primo P. Agatep/PNA)
