PH captures men’s basketball crown, powers 3-gold output

Watanabe topped the women’s judo-above 57kg up to 63 kg while judokas Dustin, Enrico and Reyes dominated the men’s Poomsae Team event in taekwondo (PNA Photo)

KUALA LUMPUR— The Philippines on Saturday night captured the men’s basketball crown, demolishing Indonesia with a 94-55 final score in the ongoing 29th Southeast Asian Games.

As of 9:25 p.m. Saturday, Philippines tallied 18-25-47 (gold-silver-bronze) output.

Judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and the taekwondo jins troika – Dustin Jacob Mella, Raphael Enrico Mel and  Rodolfo Reyes, Jr. — started Philippines’ gold medal count when they ruled their respective events with finesse.

Watanabe topped the women’s judo-above 57kg up to 63 kg while judokas Dustin, Enrico and Reyes dominated the men’s Poomsae Team event in taekwondo.

Lawn bowls double specialist Marcelino Pancho and Angelo Morales kept their top form but just enough for second place that towed the initial four silver production of Team Philippines.

The other silver medalists are Ana Patrimonio in the tennis singles match, swimmer James Deiparine in the 50m breaststroke and in the men’s team equestrian (dressage/jumping – show jumping).

The Philippines needs to increase its gold production to improve its sixth place finish in 2015.

Among the day’s bronze medalists are  Jazmine Alkhaldi in swimming (200m freestyle) judokas Shugen Nakano (above 66kg up to 73kg) and Keisei Nakano ( above 66kg up to 73kg) in judo, Asuncion Bruce and Annie Knight (lawn bowl-pairs),Ruben Gonzales Jr/Denise Dy (tennis-mixed- doubles).

Also contributing  a bronze for the Philippines are Patrick Daniel in cycling (BMX), Clinton Kingsley in athletics (110m hurdles), Jocelyn Ninobla and  Faye Juvenile and Rinna Babanto in taekwondo (women’s poomsae-team),Rodolfo Reyes, Jr also in taekwondo (poomsae-individual) and  Mark Griffin in wakeboard event.