ALL medal winners in the 2019 30th Southeast Asian Games the country hosted with a flourish are guaranteed of slots on Team Philippines to the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, later this year.
At least for now.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and chef de mission to the Vietnam SEA Games Ramon Fernandez agreed on the criteria during their first official meeting on Friday at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Parañaque City.
Tolentino and Fernandez, a Philippine Sports Commission commissioner, also bared that the country will participate in 38 of the 40 sports programmed by Vietnam.
“But we are not closing the doors on national sports associations which could justify their athletes’ inclusion, in case these recommended athletes didn’t make the podium in 2019,” Tolentino said.
Vietnam is hosting less sports (40) compared to the 56 two years ago in the country, but pegged the number of events at 520, only 16 less than those in the 30th edition of the biennial games. This year’s games are set from November 21 to December 2.
“The criteria for now are on the medalist—gold, silver and bronze—in the last SEA Games. If an NSA can prove to us that it has athletes who can win gold, we will have to discuss with the POC,” Fernandez said.
Both leaders, however, didn’t identify the two sports that won’t be on Team Philippines’ list.
“I cannot say right now what these two sports are not included but it will be a continuing review [process] in coordination with the NSAs,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez also said that he will discuss with the PSC board headed by Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez on the possibility of reverting the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City into a bubble training facility for qualified and aspiring athletes to the SEA Games.
“There are no more [Covid-19] patients at Rizal Memorial and there are only seven left at PhilSports,” Fernandez said. “NSAs without their own bubble facilities could use both once they are no longer needed as quarantine centers.”
A few NSAs are establishing their own bubble training camps—fencing (Ormoc City), rowing (La Mesa Dam), wrestling (Las Piñas City), archery (Dumaguete City) and cycling and skateboarding (Tagaytay City).
Tokyo Olympic qualifiers and aspirants in boxing, karate and taekwondo have been training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, since January 15.
Tolentino said the budget for the training, preparation and participation of athletes will be culled from the PSC’s National Sports Development Fund that is fed by the sports agency’s share from the income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Fernandez also announced that Pilipinas Obstacle Sports Federation President Atty. Alberto Agra will be one of his deputies.
The sports on Vietnam’s program are aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, billiards, bodybuilding, bowling, boxing, canoeing, chess, cycling, dancesports, e-sports, fencing, football, futsal, golf, gymnastics, handball, judo, jiu jitsu, karate, kickboxing, kurash, muaythai, pencaksilat, petanque, rowing, sepaktakraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, vovinam, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
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