MANILA: The just-concluded Southeast Asian Games may have unveiled potential world-beaters for the Philippines but a “tough journey” awaits them before they are in with a shot at the country’s first ever Olympic gold, sports officials said Thursday.
Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Tom Carrasco said that the five Filipino boxers who won gold at the SEA Games in Singapore stood the best chance but even they will have to place in qualifying tournaments before reaching the Olympics in Brazil in 2016.
“It’s really a tough journey but I don’t think we should stop trying,” he said.
An Olympic gold medal has long eluded the Philippines and the closest it has come is two silvers in boxing in 1964 and 1996.
The Philippines has the dubious distinction of being the country with the most Olympic medals without a single gold, the website Olympstats said.
“The Southeast Asian Games is really far from the standards needed to qualify for the Olympics,” Carrasco said.
“The best chance (for a medal) are the boxers, possibly athletics. They have a new management, new coaches,” he said.
Among the SEA Games Filipino medalists, only Eric Cray, who won golds in the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, has already qualified for the Olympics after passing the standard in a meet in Los Angeles before the start of the Singapore games.
Even the executive director of the Philippine amateur boxing board, Ed Picson, who is credited for the boxing medals in Singapore, is less than confident of the Philippines’ chances.
“This (the SEA Games) is just a regional tournament,” he told AFP.
The Filipino pugilists will start training next week for qualifying tournaments like the Asian championships in August and then the world championships later, he said.
Once there, the Filipinos will have to face boxing powerhouses like China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, on the way to the Olympics, Picson warned.
Olympics still a distant dream for Philippines SEA Games medallists
Olympics still a distant dream for Philippines SEA Games medallists
Mahindra Racing target swift response at Mexico City E-Prix after mixed season opener in Sao Paulo
- The team showed improved pace in Brazil, with Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries starting 3rd and 5th on the grid, but only the latter finished in the points
- ‘Sao Paulo was a tough start to the season but there were plenty of positives … ultimately it’s only one race, the season is long and we have plenty of opportunities ahead,’ says de Vries
LONDON: As Mahindra Racing targets an immediate response when the Formula E World Championship resumes in Mexico City this weekend, driver Nyck de Vries is confident the team can build on the positives from a difficult season opener in Sao Paulo last month.
The team showed improved pace in Brazil to become the only outfit to place both cars in the knockout Qualifying Duels, with de Vries and Edoardo Mortara starting the big race fifth and third on the grid respectively.
De Vries went on to finish ninth, picking up two points, but Mortara was forced to retire as a result of contact damage.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to racing this weekend in Mexico,” de Vries said. “Sao Paulo was a tough start to the season but there were plenty of positives for us to take away, and ultimately it’s only one race, the season is long and we have plenty of opportunities ahead of us.
“This event (in Mexico City) always brings out a fantastic crowd. You can really feel the energy from the grandstands in the Foro Sol and around the paddock, so I’m also looking forward to being back in that atmosphere.”
Mortara said team confidence remains high heading into round two of the season at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
“It’s always nice to have a little break over the festive period, so I’m feeling recharged and ready to get back to racing,” he said.
“As a team, it’s very important to keep Sao Paulo in perspective; it was a tough start but we have 16 more races ahead of us, starting with Mexico, and we know we have the car and the team to compete for strong results.
“Formula E is about having that little bit of luck, sometimes, so as long as we continue to work hard, develop and put ourselves in those positions, the results will come.”
Team principal Frederic Bertrand said the focus now is on execution after encouraging performance gains with the team’s new M12Electro car.
“It’s really important that we hit the ground running in Mexico City this weekend, and everybody is arriving recharged and refocused after a short winter break,” he said.
“In some ways we played our ‘joker’ in Sao Paulo, with a difficult weekend, but there are a lot of positives for us to take away.
“We know that we have made some steps forward in performance with the M12Electro, and are clearly stronger over one-lap pace but also race runs — our energy efficiency in Brazil was another step forward from last year — so all the ingredients are in place to be successful.
“If we can execute at the high level we now expect from ourselves, then there’s no reason why we can’t be in the challenge for the podium again this weekend.”
After the Shakedown session and first free practice on Friday afternoon, the Mexico City E-Prix will follow the established single-day format synonymous with Formula E, with the second free practice session, qualifying, and the big race itself all taking place on Saturday.
