POC extends deadline for RP cage roster

The Philippine Olympic Committee yesterday granted the request of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) to extend its deadline for submission of the cage body’s final roster for this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bowling’s Steve Hontiveros, head of the SEAG technical commission, disclosed that they have given BAP until Sept. 3 to submit the complete line-up of its men’s and women’s squads.

"We’re granting their request for an extension," said Hontiveros in a meeting of the joint POC-Philippine Sports Commission committee that is tasked to screen the delegates bound for the biennial meet set Dec. 5 to 13.

"We expect them to complete the requirements on or before Sept. 3," he added.

The national squad, backed by the Cebuana LhuillIer, is currently competing in the 12th Super Sheung Cup in Hong Kong and will be back on Sunday.

There were also reports that the BAP had sought permission that the Cebuana Lhuillier logo be placed on the players’ uniforms but it was denied by the committee.

Meanwhile, Hontiveros also announced that the International Wrestling Federation (FILA) has ordered the Vietnam SEAG organizing committee to add the men’s-120 kg freestyle and Greco-Roman categories, which were originally erased from the list of disciplines, in its sports calendar.

"This is good news for us since we won two gold medals in the said weight categories during the last Southeast Asian Championships," he said.

At the same time, FILA chief Raphael Martinetti ordered Vietnam to scrap the -48 kg and -51 kg men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman events, which are not "official weight categories" in the FILA book.