PH flag-raising today at Asiad Village

INCHEON, South Korea—The small Philippine contingent with big hopes proudly raises its colors Thursday at the sprawling Incheon Asian Games Athletes Village to officially announce its presence alongside the region’s big sporting guns.

Chief of mission Richie Garcia, the Philippine Sports Commission chair, will lead the flag-raising rites for   the national squad which he described as having “potential with credential” to surpass its three-gold, four-silver and nine-bronze medal haul when the Games were last held four years ago in Guangzhou, China.

Garcia will raise the flag at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. in Manila) before a handful of officials and only about two dozen athletes who have checked in so far.

Only the athletes in weightlifting, shooting, windsurfing, wushu, fencing and tennis have arrived in two batches. Those in judo, gymnastics and swimming are expected to join them on Thursday.

The main contingent made up of the athletes from archery (7), bowling (12), basketball (12), boxing (8), sailing (2) and triathlon (5) will check in this weekend while the rest are expected next week.

With 150 athletes, the PH contingent is one of smallest sent by the country to the Asiad.

Garcia is optimistic that the country will contend for the gold in BMX cycling, windsurfing, basketball, boxing, wushu, taekwondo and bowling. He also hopes for medals in karatedo, judo, golf, rugby and weightlifting.

“We are competing as a very compact, lean, mean team whose members were picked based on stringent criteria,” Garcia said.