This year's edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games serves as a measurement of the country's level of desire to replicate the success of the Filipino contingent that had a monumental performance at the Tokyo Games back in 2021.
Hosted for the first time by Cambodia from May 5 to 17, the 32nd SEA Games could be a springboard for those who wish to earn a spot to the Olympics come July 2024. The outcome of this tournament could provide us a glimpse of the new sporting stars, the persistence of the Tokyo cast, or the shot at redemption of the veterans.
Minus the light that is beaming from Hidilyn Diaz — the Olympic champion — the Filipinos embark on a mission that is lesser in grandeur than of the quadrennial Summer Games, but of the same intensity, as the region's best athletes embrace the stage for a tiny space of stardom.
The national delegation is composed of 905 athletes and accompanied by 257 officials. With the Cambodian organizers catering a total of 608 events in 37 sports peppered across the capital Phnom Penh and nearby provinces, the Philippines hopes to surpass its haul of 52 golds, 70 silvers, and 105 bronze medals from the Vietnam showpiece last year.
Diaz, the country's weightlifting queen, chose to skip the SEA Games to join the Asian Championships which is an Olympic qualifying tournament in South Korea. Another medalist, Tokyo bronze medal winner Eumir Marcial, decided not to defend his boxing crown to focus on his professional career.
Despite the absence of Diaz and Marcial, the contingent doesn't lack the star power to ignite a wave of inspiration for those who want to climb the steps of greatness.
For one, Carlos Yulo is in town to deliver another masterful performance in men's gymnastics. The two-time world champion is eyeing to sweep his four events and possibly hike his overall SEA Games harvest of seven gold medals.
Also joining the fray are Tokyo silver medal winners Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, both armed to the teeth to carry the fight for the boxing team that is consistently the joy and pride of every delegation.
Of course, there's EJ Obiena, the pole vault sensation who has been Asia's tiger in athletics for a couple of years due to his string of podium finishes in the ultra competitive European circuit.
Also worth watching are weightlifters Vanessa Sarno and Elreen Ando, the women's football team, the pool masters, the star-studded basketball and volleyball teams, and the esports players, to name a few.
For a country that has relished the view on the summit of the sporting world thanks to the tremendous effort of the Tokyo victors, the thirst for a second act should never cease. The SEA Games is a great platform to be noticed, to be honored as a champion among the elite athletes in the field.
The template to success was already penned in Tokyo where we won our first Olympic gold medal along with two silvers and a bronze. The next batch should look nowhere else.
The journey to the French capital begins in Cambodia. We wish our athletes the best of luck.