POC, PSC form initial list of bets for SEAG

The joint group of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) yesterday identified an initial list of 226 individual and team gold medallists of the Manila SEA Games as among those considered for inclusion in the national squad bound for the 24th edition of the meet in Thailand.

The committee came up with the names after reaching a consensus that only the best athletes and coaches will comprise Team Philippines out to defend the overall SEA Games title it won in Manila two years ago.

The country’s coming campaign in the biennial meet were among the handful of matters the group discussed in its meeting the other day with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.

Commissioners Joey Mundo and Ambrosio de Luna represented the PSC side while swimming president Mark Joseph and squash counterpart Romeo Ribano came for the POC. Dina Bernardo was also present in behalf of the POC Athletes Commission.

"The meeting only goes to show that we are not short in planning in our efforts to ensure a successful SEA Games participation," said Cojuangco.

The 2007 edition of the biennial event is slated Dec. 7-15 in Nakhon Rathasima, Thailand.

The country won a total of 112 gold medals in clinching its first SEA Games overall title in 28 years of participation.

The initial list of athletes and coaches will be submitted by the POC-PSC committee to the SEA Games Task Force jointly headed by wushu president Julian Camacho and PSC commissioner Ritchie Garcia.

But their inclusion in the RP roster is also subject to the confirmation of their respective National Sports Associations (NSAs) that they are in shape, currently in training and after verification that their events are included in the calendar of events for the Thailand SEA Games.

The POC-PSC committee is also studying better training support packages for members of the national team to ensure a successful campaign in the nine-day, multi-sports meet.

Following a response from the various NSAs on its selection criteria and the athletes’ assessment report among SEA Games hopefuls, another round of selection will be made.

The committee is likewise suggesting that the selection criteria for sports in the SEA Games and its subsequent financial report will be on a per sports basis, taking into careful consideration the strategic importance and unique qualities of each sport.

Also taken up during the meeting were the early release of athletes rendering services to the Armed Forces to the national team, a proposal to develop a national sports structure closely tied to the Philippine Olympic festival and a deep study of the athletes and coaches in the PSC rosters together with NSAs to determine if some still deserve financial support despite not having won a medal in international competitions for many years.