Modest SEAG targets for PH team

The Philippines will leave no stone unturned to avoid a sixth-place-or-worse finish in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games this year with a hopeful eye cast on third place.

This was announced by Philippine Olympic Committee chair Tom Carrasco, who kept expectations in check in the biennial event slated in December.

“We are not promising the moon like we would be eyeing the overall championship, but certainly we will do everything we are capable of doing to escape that deplorable finish (in 2011),” said Carrasco during yesterday’s Scoop Sa Kamayan in Padre Faura.

“We would be happy enough if we end up a decent fifth or fourth. If possible we can go for third. But not sixth, or worse, seventh. That’s already unforgivable,” Carrasco, who is also the triathlon head, said.

The Philippines wound up sixth two years ago in Indonesia with a 36-56-77 gold-silver-bronze tally, behind overall champion Indonesia (182-151-143), Thailand (109-100-120), Vietnam (96-92-100), Malaysia (59-50, 81) and Singapore (42-45-73). This year’s host Myanmar came in seventh (16-27-37).

Carrasco said that even though Myanmar is hosting the event, it can’t overtake the Philippines at sixth.

“We are way way ahead of them,” he added during the forum sponsored by Powerade, AKTV and Fila.