Kayang mag-overall champion

Matapos ihayag na hanggang third place lamang ang Pilipinas walong buwan na ang nakararaan, nag-iba na ng kanyang prediksyon si National Training Director Mike Keon kahapon.

Ayon sa dating Executive Director ng Project: Gintong Alay, inaasahan niyang kokolekta ang Pilipinas ng 92 hanggang 128 gintong medalya upang sungkitin ang over-all crown ng nalalapit na 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

"That’s not a hard and fast figure. For me a more realistic assessment would be 92 minimum and 128 maximum. I will say this generally and I will not break it down per sport," sabi ni Keon. "On this basis that we can double our medal output from Vietnam, so we’re around 100 gold medal tally, I would say that the Philippines has a strong chance to at least be in second or first place."

Sa nakaraang edisyon ng SEA Games sa Vietnam noong 2003, nag-uwi ang Pilipinas ng 49 gold medals sa ilalim ng Vietnam (158), Thailand (90) at Indonesia (53).

Naniniwala si Keon na kaya itong doblehin ng mga Pinoy sa kabila ng mabigat na laban ng Vietnam at Thailand.

"Based on our last performance in the last Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, where the Philippines placed fourth with 49 gold medals, I honestly believe that the Philippines can double the gold medal output that we had in Vietnam," ani Keon.

Sinabi ni Keon na sapat na ang naturang bilang ng gintong medalya para lumaban ang Pilipinas sa Thailand at Vietnam sa overall crown ng bienniel event, nakatakda sa Nobyembre 27 hanggang Disyembre 5.

"The last six to seven months the National Sports Associations have gone through very rigorous training. Our athletes had international exposure in terms of training and competition," ani Keon. "I believe this has put the balance in our favor. I believe that the training this time around is much better than it was in the Vietnam Games." (Russell Cadayona)