Garcia: Philippine’s Southeast Asian Games hopes burn bright

MANILA—The Philippines’ bid in this year’s Southeast Asian Games will be more formidable than the past two staging of the biennial meet.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia expressed optimism, on Tuesday, of crashing the Top 3 in this year’s meet set from Nov. 12 to 23 in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia.

“I think we will have a great chance of landing in the top 3 because some events where Thailand is strong are not included this year,” Garcia said at the PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue in Manila.

The Filipinos, winner of the overall championship as host in 2005, collected 38 golds, 35 silvers and 51 bronze medals to finish fifth in the medal table in the SEA Games two years ago in Vientiane, Laos. They landed sixth in 2007.

The PSC chair is attributing the country’s bright chances to the inclusion of several events where Filipinos are deemed favorites.

“Wall climbing has a good chance of bringing home a gold medal, BMX is also eyeing several gold medals and gymnastics is also looking good,” said Garcia.

Gymnastics, Garcia said, went from a zero-gold prospect to a possible winner of four golds, judging from the performances of participants in the POC-PSC National Games.

Garcia said the holding of the PNG recently in Bacolod City augured well for the preparations of the national contingent bound for the SEA Games.

“I think our athletes are starting to peak for the SEA Games,” said Garcia, during the forum sponsored by Smart, Outlast Battery, Pagcor and Shakey’s.