Lariba a big motivation for P100-M SEAG team

2017 Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Philippine Sports Commission executive director Carlo Abarquez said Tuesday P100 million will be allotted for the Philippine delegation to the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur.

This was based on the 733-strong delegation that will fly to the Aug. 19 to 30 Games.

The total will be without one big name: Rio de Janeiro Olympian Ian Lariba, the UAAP table tennis star who is battling leukemia.

A total of 487 athletes and 146 coaches from 37 sports will comprise the Philippine contingent along with 100 support personnel, which includes members of the secretariat and medical team.

“We really want to see the success of our athletes in the SEA Games and the funds are ready and available,” said Abarquez in a press conference.

Lariba’s name was left off the list of the Philippine team as she tries to nurse herself back to health, but table tennis officials are not discounting the possibility of her showing up in Kuala Lumpur to cheer on the other national athletes.

“That would be nice,” said table tennis president in Tuesday’s PSA Forum at Golden Phoenix Hotel. “Yanyan would be a big inspiration for the team.”

Ledesma admitted they wanted to retain Lariba, a two-time UAAP Athlete of the Year, in the SEA Games lineup but had to name a replacement.

“Even at the last minute we wanted to include her name in the list,” said Ledesma in the weekly forum supported by Accel, San Miguel Corp. and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.