Cast of Olympians ‘still up in air’

THE COMPOSITION of the Philippine delegation to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will not be finalized until the results of all qualifying tournaments have been accounted for.

With the cutoff for golf scheduled on July 11 and the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team slated to try its luck in the last Olympic qualifier in Manila from July 5, chief of mission Joey Romasanta said the cast of Filipino athletes won’t be determined any time soon.

“Everything is up in the air in so far as the final delegation or athletes to be named is concerned,” said Romasanta before leaving for Bangkok yesterday for a pre-delegation registration meeting for the Olympics, set Aug. 5 to 21.

Aside from basketball and golf, boxing will end its qualifiers on June 30. Several other sports have not announced the Olympic qualifiers.

Qualified athletes in track and field will be known on July 12 to 14, according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

“The schedule is too tight,” said Romasanta, also the POC first vice president. “After we settle the delegation’s final composition, we will immediately submit the entries to the organizers.”

Hurdler Eric Cray and long jumper Marestella Torres have been confirmed as Olympic entries, as well as boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora and Ian Lariba of table tennis.