Tennis may lose slot in SEA Games

LAPU LAPU CITY—Philippine tennis is hoping for the best but is prepared for the worst regarding the fate of the sport in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games this December.

Philippine Tennis Association secretary general Romeo Magat yesterday said the Philippine Olympic Committee has already confirmed that tennis is among the Olympic sports that will be scrapped from the SEA Games calendar in favor of sports that are unheard of and largely not played in the region.

“This is bad news for us,” said Magat quoting POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros who arrived Wednesday from the SEA Games Federation in Myanmar.

Hontiveros confirmed the news but refused to say the other sports that won’t be played. POC vice president Joey Romasanta can’t be reached for comment.

“That’s all we were talking about the whole morning,” said Treat Huey, who won the country’s lone gold medal in the 2011 edition along with Denise Dy in the mixed doubles.

Huey said if that happens, they will just concentrate on the Davis Cup, where the country is working on going back to Group 1 competitions. The PH Cuppers are to start their tie here against Syria today.