Modest SEA Games goal for huge PH delegation

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will field more than 500 athletes to accomplish its modest goal of at least a fourth-overall finish in the Southeast Asian Games next year in Singapore.

Except for athletes from cycling, aquatics, petanque and tennis, Philippine chef de mission Julian Camacho said a total of 503 candidates have been recommended for the national contingent by the national sports associations, potentially paving the way for one of the country’s biggest delegations since 2005, when Manila last hosted the 11-nation Games.

“It’s a big delegation, but we will carefully evaluate the qualification of these athletes,” said Camacho, the treasurer of the Philippine Olympic Committee. “The NSAs will have to defend the qualification of their athletes before we allow them to compete.”

The target is to finish at least fourth- or fifth-place overall to improve on the Philippines’ seventh-place performance in Burma (29 gold medals, 34 silvers and 39 bronzes) last year.

“We’ll just do our best for the country. I don’t want to make any predictions,” said Camacho.

The 28th edition of the Games starts on June 5 at Singapore’s National Stadium with 402 events from 36 sports. Camacho served as deputy chief of mission during the 2011 Games in Indonesia when the POC brought 512 athletes.

The Philippines won the SEAG overall title for the first time in 2005 with 743 athletes from 39 sports.

“Of course there’s a big chance of getting more medals if you have a bigger delegation. Still, we have to make sure that they’re capable of boosting our medal tally,” said Camacho.

According to Camacho, secretary general of the Wushu Federation of the Philippines, the criteria allows medalists in the previous SEAG in Burma (Myanmar), the Incheon Asian Games and top performers in continental-level tournaments to join the delegation.