NONTRADITIONAL Crisamuel Delfin of Team Philippines wins the gold medal in the forms nontraditional men’s division of the arnis competition in the recently concluded 30th SEA Games. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
CLARK FREEPORT—The 30th Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines, which drew to a close on Wednesday, produced some unusual and unforgettable moments.
Here are five of the most memorable:
Super surfer Filipino gold medalist Roger Casugay was hailed as a hero after he leapt from his longboard to help Indonesian competitor Arip Nurhidayat who got into difficulty in choppy waters.
“I told him not to say sorry because that’s the way it is. There is no way of knowing what will happen,” said Casugay, 25.
Emerging esports
The SEA Games marked a first crack at the sporting mainstream for esports which was a full medal event at an Olympic-recognized multisport competition for the first time.
The host nation won golds in team battle games Dota 2 and Mobile Legends.
Schooling schooled
Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling beat his idol, US legend Michael Phelps, to win Rio Olympic gold in the 100-meter butterfly, but was worryingly out of form and shape just seven months from Tokyo 2020.
Schooling, 24, admitted he needed to fix his physique after winning only one individual gold and after being beaten twice by younger teammates and having to settle for silver each time.
Duterte dancing
The loudest cheer at the opening ceremony came when President Duterte, seated alongside Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, was seen on his feet and shaking his hips as the national athletes paraded around the indoor Philippine Arena.
Brief encounter
A Filipino martial artist almost gave up a chance of gold when he refused to don underwear beneath his loincloth in respect to his Ifugao Igorot culture.
Crisamuel Delfin eventually topped the podium in the arnis competition, but only after he was persuaded to sport a bikini-type thong.—AFP