INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?The Philippine Olympic Committee is hoping to finance 60 more athletes outside of the 153 approved by the Philippine Sports Commission to the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

POC secretary-general Steve Hontiveros said the Olympic body has decided to raise funds for the participation of the additional athletes during a lengthy POC executive board committee meeting last Tuesday.

RP chef de mission Mario Tanchangco earlier disclosed that the PSC would be spending P70,000 for each athlete in the Dec. 9-18 biennial meet based on the daily budget of $50 a day for meal allowances and accommodation expenses.

Based on Tanchangco?s calculation, the POC should come up with around P4.2 million for the 60 athletes, who will be selected by a four-man screening committee installed by the Olympic body.

?We don?t have the money yet and we?re still looking for sponsors. But the POC is ready to fund these athletes,? said Hontiveros.

Tanchangco said the four-man screening team composed of swimming head Mark Joseph, athletics chief Go Teng Kok, judo?s Dave Carter and Jeff Tamayo of soft tennis will sit down with national sports association leaders today and decide on the additional athletes.

Tanchangco will travel to Vientiane tomorrow and submit the final lineup of the national team to the Laos organizers who have set the deadline for the submission of rosters on Oct. 26.