Richie Garcia stands pat on 70 gold medals prediction

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Sports Commission Tuesday stood pat on its earlier projection of 70 gold medals and a Top-3 finish for the Filipino contingent in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

The country’s campaign started off on the wrong foot with a pair of losses in men’s football, but PSC chair Richie Garcia believes this has not dampened the morale of the 747-strong contingent.

“I still believe our target of 70 gold medals is achievable,” said Garcia at the PSA Forum Tuesday. “With the high spirits of the athletes … it’s not that far-fetched for us to be able to get 70.

The Under-23 Azkals lost to Vietnam (1-3) and Timor Leste (1-2), leaving their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread in Jakarta.

“We’ve had some bad news in football, but this should not dampen our spirits.”

The SEA Games formally opens on Friday in Palembang, the hub of the competition, and Garcia assured that the few minor concerns like the delayed issuance of tickets and billeting issues in Palembang will be ironed out.