Even before the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) could open its doors in Vietnam next month, Cambodia’s hosting of the Games next year looks rosy for Team Philippines.
Most of the 39 sports approved to be on the Cambodia SEAG calendar seem to give Team PH the chance to contend for the overall title even with the Filipinos playing on foreign soil.
Not a few victories can be sealed in medal-rich athletics, but with arnis, dancesports, gymnastics, triathlon, basketball, boxing, billiards and rowing around, the country’s aspirations for a repeat act of the 2019 Games in Manila look quite good.
The Philippines captured its second overall title as host three years ago with those sports delivering a huge chunk of the 149 gold medals it won in running away with the overall title.
PH-dominated sports
Arnis, the country’s national sport, grabbed 14 gold medals while dancesports added 10 to the collection.
“Cambodia is ready to host and they promised an excellent edition of the Games,’’ said Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino after emerging from the SEAG Federation meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Combat sports judo, kickboxing, karate, muay thai and taekwondo are also reliable medal sources for the national contingent as well as cycling, sepak takraw, fencing, weightlifting, traditional boat race, bodybuilding, e-sports and jiujitsu.
Sports that are under consideration such as wushu and obstacle sports could similarly turn in the mints when the solid output of Filipino athletes in 2019 is taken into consideration.
The 32nd edition of the 11-nation meet has been penciled May 5 to May 16 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital and designated hub of the Games.
Cambodia’s hosting is scheduled a year after Vietnam’s staging on May 12 to May 23 following a postponement last year.
Also included in the Cambodia lineup are aquatics, badminton, canoeing, petanque, soft tennis, table tennis, volleyball, wrestling, hockey, vovinam, jet ski and indigenous sports kun vocator, among others, while organizers are still pondering whether to carry water polo, cricket, shooting and floorball as well. INQ