Eala, Bagunas designated Philippine flag bearers for SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines — Tennis supernova Alex Eala and volleyball star Bryan Bagunas will be the Philippines’ flag bearers when the country wades into battle in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games set December 9-20 in Thailand.

“Popularity aside, Alex and Bryan have made impacts in the global sports community and that makes them the best choice to carry the flag in the SEA Games,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino in a statement Tuesday.

“It’s about the inspirational appeal, the motivation and hard work that reap accomplishment that make an athlete or athletes the best choice for the chore,” he added.

Eala, of course, was an easy choice after her meteoric rise to prominence as she is now ranked 50th in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings—the highest place reached by a Filipina.

For Bagunas, he was the face of the Alas Pilipinas team that finished a historic 19th in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship the country hosted a few months ago.

The pair’s presence in the biennial meet should add to an already star-studded, 1,168-strong Philippine team eyeing to eclipse its 58-gold, fifth-place finish in Phnom Penh, Cambodia two years ago.

It included Tokyo Games weightlifting gold winner Hidilyn Diaz, Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Eumir Felix Marcial of boxing and Kayla Sanchez of swimming, and Olympians EJ Obiena (pole vault), Hergie Bacyadan (boxing), Aleah Finnegan (artistic gymnastics), Joannie Delgaco (rowing), Eric Cray (athletics) and Elreen Ando (weightlifting).

Other stars in the fold are Gilas Pilipinas, Alas Pilipinas, and World Cup veterans from the national women’s football team.

Tolentino, meanwhile, said the country’s initial 300 slots in the opening parade at the Rajamangala National Stadium could possibly be trimmed to 200 due to the host Thais’ year-long mourning for their Queen Sirikit and the Songkhla flood disaster.