Olympians get free berths to Malaysia

Filipino athletes who competed in the Rio De Janeiro Olympics are assured of slots in the Malaysia Southeast Asian Games, the PSC-POC task force said yesterday.

Silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz leads the 13 athletes who are assured of tickets to the SEA Games should they opt to compete there.

The others are boxers Charly Suarez and Rogen Ladon, hurdler Eric Cray, long jumper Marestella Torres, marathoner Mary Joy Tabal, Ian Lariba of table tennis, golfer Miguel Tabuena, taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora, lifter Nestor Colonia, swimmers Jessie Khing Lacuna and Jasmine Alkhaldi and Filipino-Japanese judoka Kodo Nakano.

The POC-PSC task force will set the criteria and begin pruning down the 650-strong list on Jan. 6 and 7.