PSC eyes summit to solve SEAG sports roster

The Philippines Sports Commission has proposed to host a meeting among Southeast Asian Games nations with the goal of establishing a fixed set of rules on the sports that should be regularly included in the event’s calendar.

PSC chair Richie Garcia said the gathering among the 11 countries could end once and for all the perennial problem of removing sports unfavorable to the host nation.

Garcia was referring to Myanmar’s hosting of the games on Dec. 11 to 22 where tennis, baseball, softball, beach volleyball, dancesports and gymnastics were scratched out and replaced with indigenous disciplines vovinam, chinlone, kempo and tarung derajat, which offer a total of 60 gold medals.

“These things should not happen in the next SEA Games in Singapore,” said Garcia. “Why don’t we host a discussion among SEA Games countries on how we should amend the by-laws of the SEA Games.”

Garcia already mentioned the proposal to Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

“In that meeting, we could identify the sports that should not be changed. Aside from Olympic sports, there are traditional sports that are always being played in the SEA Games,” said Garcia.

Non-Olympic sports regularly played in the biennial meet are muay, wushu, chess, billiards, golf, sepak takraw, karate, dragon boat and bowling, among others.