Gilas, Blu Girls shoo-ins to Incheon Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is looking at sending around 200 athletes to the Incheon Asian Games later this year with Gilas, Blu Girls and Volcanoes carrying strong chances of making the team outright.

Philippine Olympic Committee chair Tom Carrasco bared that the joint POC-Philippine Sports Commission Task Force plans to have another “lean and mean” delegation in the quadrennial meet slated Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.

He said based on recent performances of  men’s basketball, women’s softball and men’s rugby  teams, they are expected to make the contingent. Teams in football, dragonboat and baseball will have to prove themselves further.

Gilas made it on account of their second-place finish in the Fiba Asia last year, while the Blu Girls wound up fourth in the Asian championships in New Zealand. The Volcanoes ranked fifth in Asia in 15s and qualified for World Cup 7s.

Football in Asian Games are restricted to 23-under with only two overage players allowed per team. Baseball and dragonboat, on the other hand, are saddled by infighting in their respective associations.

The country sent 188 athletes four years ago in the Guangzhou Asiad and brought home three golds, four silvers and nine bronzes. In the 2006 Doha Asiad, Team Philippines ran away with 4-6-9, and in 2002 in Busan bagged 3-7-16.

Among the individual sports, tennis stars Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales are expected to suit for the team based on their high world rankings. Huey is No. 22 in the world in doubles.