INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? There?s more reason now to send a lean delegation to the Southeast Asian Games this December.

With Luzon under a state of calamity because of tropical storm ?Ondoy? and Tropical Depression ?Pepeng,? Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping yesterday said it would be improper to send a big delegation to the SEA Games set in Vientiane, Laos.

?Look, we are in a state of calamity,? he said. ?I don?t think it?s good for us to send a big delegation when we are seeking help from other nations because of the typhoons that hit us.?

Angping has earlier stated that he intends to fund no more than 130 athletes who have strong chances to win gold medals based on the PSC monitoring report.

?We can?t send 600 athletes (like in Thailand) and all the while ask help for the victims of the calamity,? added Angping.

?What we need to do is urge those who will be sent to give it their best to bring home the gold medals expected of them.?

The PSC chief said he only expects the country to win 30 gold medals in Laos because of the decreased number of events. Only 25 sports are in the roster this time with the Filipinos competing in only 19 events.

The Philippine Olympic Committee wants to send 250 athletes and officials to Laos based on the recommendation of its own committee headed by chief of mission Mario Tanchangco.