MANILA, 29 November 2005 — Diver Sheila Mae Perez dominated the 3-meter springboard at the Southeast Asian Games — on her own and with a partner.
Perez became a double gold medal winner yesterday, finishing first in the 3-meter springboard after teaming with fellow Filipino Cesiel Domenios on Sunday in the synchronized version of the same event.
“When I topped the preliminaries, I got some confidence,” said Perez, who won silver in the same event at Vietnam two years ago.
Her win Monday, along with other Filipino victories that included team tennis, the martial arts sport of wushu and the 10,000-meter run, helped the host country to a gold medal total of 10, double that of second-placed Malaysia and Vietnam. The games had its first security scare Monday at the volleyball venue at West Negros College at Bacolod in the central Philippines, where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is scheduled to attend a game today.
A bomb snifer dog picked up a scent in a van at a parking lot near the stadium. Bacolod City Police Superintendent Pedro Merced said the man who owns the van is being questioned, and the vehicle was taken away for further investigation.
There was no immediate word on whether there was a bomb or explosives in the van.
More than 17,000 police and security forces are on high alert during the games.
Mercedita Manipol of the Philippines, a 25-year-old teaching student who returned to school after leaving college as a teenager, won the 10,000-meter race while 2000 Sydney Olympics diver Zardo Domenios paired with Nino Carog to win the men’s 3-meter synchronized springboard.
Domenios and Carog led in all five rounds of their dive competition to finish with 299.40 points, nearly 16 points ahead of the silver medal-winning pair of Yeoh Ken Nee and Rossharisham Roslam of Malaysia. Domenios also won a bronze medal in the 1-meter springboard on Sunday. “This is a sweet victory for both of us because we won the gold in our own turf,” said Carog, who won a silver medal in the same event with Jaime Asok at the 2003 Games.
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Bouban Pamang won gold in the javelin throw with a distance of 55.06 meters, ahead of Rosie Villarito of the Philippines with 49.43 and Singapore’s Zhang Guirong with 48.7. On the track, Wachara Sondee of Thailand won the men’s 100 meters and Vu Thi Huong of Vietnam took gold in the women’s 100. The Philippines, led by ATP Tour member Cecil Mamiit’s singles win over Prima Simpatiaji in straight sets, won the men’s team gold in tennis 2-1. Indonesia defeated Thailand 3-0 to win the women’s team gold.
The Southeast Asian Games are held every two years and include 11 countries, including the second appearance by the former Indonesian province of East Timor.
