Athletics sure of winning 10 golds — GTK

"I have 10 golds in my pocket."

This was the reaction made by athletics president Go Teng Kok to Mike Keon’s recent statement that track and field would be lucky to win 10 gold medals, and not 15 as earlier predicted, in the coming SEA Games.

Keon, training director of the close to 800 RP athletes for the biennial event, came out with a recent forecast that the Philippines could win from 92 to 128 gold medals in the SEA Games.

Under this forecast, which Keon based on a study of all the national sports associations and their respective athletes, the Philippines will definitely be in the hunt for the overall crown.

The former president of the Philippine Olympic Committee and director of the Project Gintong Alay said Thailand and reigning champion Vietnam are the Philippines’ biggest rivals in the Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 SEA Games.

Keon described his forecast as "more realistic" if compared to a previous one made by fellow sports officials that the Philippines can win a low of 109 and a high of 178 gold medals.

Keon said some NSAs may have overestimated their gold medal potential. He cited athletics as one of them, saying winning 15 gold medals is not a "reasonable assessment" and that athletics would be lucky to win 10.

Keon’s prediction as far as athletics, a measurable sport, did not sit well with Go who contacted The STAR yesterday.

"I always encourage my athletes to do their best. What Mr. Keon said was an abuse of my athletes. He should come up with figures," said Go.

"I have 10 golds (medals) in my pocket. And I’m looking for another three or even more so we can win 15," said the president of the athletics, a perennial source of gold medals for the Philippines in the SEA Games.

Keon said wushu will most likely deliver the most number of gold medals for the Philippines, adding that fencing, wrestling and boxing are the other sports that are expected to deliver.

Though Keon did not exactly say whether fencing, wrestling and boxing could win more medals than athletics, again, it did not sit well with Go.

"Okay. Ang wushu mananalo ng madami. Mga 15 or 16 gold medals. Pero subjective sport kasi ‘yan. Pero sa sinabi ni Mr. Keon na mas madami ang ipapanalo ng fencing, wrestling or boxing, hindi ako payag diyan," he said.