SEAG-bound RP cyclists off to Hanoi Monday

A crack RP cycling team spearheaded by Arnel Quirimit will be the first group to land on Vietnam soil as it is scheduled to leave on Monday, less than a month before the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games formally opens.

Nestor Ilagan, member of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s technical group, made the announcement yesterday as his committee is expected to officially present to the executive council the final roster for the biennial meet in a meeting today.

Joining Quirimit, who topped the revived FedEx Tour ng Pilipinas early this year, in the first batch are Victor Espiritu, Warren Davadilla, Alfie Catalan and Bing Ato.

The next batch to depart for Vietnam are the water polo and rowing teams on Nov. 27 while the third wave will come from women’s football, archery and shooting in Hanoi and bodybuilding and boxing in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 29.

Squads from gymnastics, billiards and snooker are booked to depart next on Dec. 1 before the biggest delegation, a group of 300 athletes and officials headed by the basketball team, follows them a day after.

Aside from the SEAG’s reigning men’s cage champion, athletes and officials of badminton, chess, judo, lawn tennis, swimming, driving, canoeing/kayaking, karatedo, pencak silat, sepak takraw, shooting, wrestling and table tennis are also scheduled to leave on the same date to get the feel of the tournament venues.

Next in line are athletics and traditional boat race (Dec. 4), fencing and volleyball (Dec. 5), weightlifting and wushu (Dec. 6) and aerobics/gymnastics and taekwondo (Dec. 7). — Joey Villar