Angping insists lean team can do the job

MANILA, Philippines - Chairman Harry Angping is going for quality, not quantity.

“Let’s put it this way: you don’t win championships based on the number of athletes,” said the chief of the Philippine Sports Commission.

“Like in basketball, sending fifteen players instead of twelve does not guarantee that you will win the championship,” he said.

In short, Angping believes that with the 153 athletes the PSC has agreed to fund for the Laos SEA Games, the Philippines can win all the medals it can win as it hopes to improve on its fifth-place finish in Thailand two years ago.

“If you increase the number to 200 (the Philippine Olympic Committee wants 247), it does not guarantee that we will win more medals. If you send athletes that don’t have chances of winning, then they will just be additional burden there,” he said.

The POC will fund the rest of the athletes, and its president, Jose Cojuangco, said he’s “pretty confident” they can cover the expenses through help from the private sector.

“I hope the POC does not take it against me, but I’m hoping that these 153 athletes can give the best performance for the Philippines,” said Angping, adding that if by any chance anyone outside the 153 PSC-funded athletes, then they will get what they deserve.

Over the past few weeks, Angping has showered the athletes with promises of bigger allowances and incentives they’ve never experienced before.

“I’m here to keep these promises,” said Angping, who has raised the cash incentives for RP gold medalists in the SEA Games from P100,000 to P300,000. He said those who will perform will also get huge increases in their monthly allowances – from P15,000 to as high as P50,000.   – Abac Cordero