POC allots P5.6 million for 94 SEAG bets

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Olympic Committee has already put in place the P5.64 million needed to fund the additional 94 athletes that will carry the country’s colors in the coming 25th Southeast Asian Games this December in Laos.

This was disclosed by POC president Jose Cojuangco yesterday as he assured the athletes that all those who qualified under the criteria set by the POC will be sent to the Games set Dec. 9-18.

“The needed funding is not yet in my hands, but all I can say is that it’s there for picking, “ the 74-year-old POC top honcho said during the Scoop sa Kamayan forum.

“And for that, I would like to thank our friends from the private and corporate sectors, who like us in the POC, feel that we owe it to our athletes that they should go and compete for flag and country,” Cojuangco said.

Cojuangco, also the president of the Philippine Equestrian Federation, was referring to the 94 additional athletes the POC will send to Laos in addition to the 153 the Philippine Sports Commission has pledged to fund.

“These additional athletes belong to the third criteria that the POC had earlier set, those who fall either under the winners of the bronze medals in the SEA Games two years ago in Thailand or on the strength of their latest performance in the SEA Games, Asian and regional level competitions.”

The 153 athletes under the PSC list are those falling under the gold and silver medal criteria.

“For the peace of mind of those concerned athletes, I would like to assure them that they made it to the Games, so they must go because we owe it to them and to the Filipino people,” said Cojuangco, who came to the forum with chef de mission Mario Tanchangco, athletics chief Go Teng Kok and POC spokesman Jose Romasanta.

Cojuangco also said the total 247-athlete contingent plus 132 officials will be final.

“There might be reduction but no addition,” said Go.

The list was to be submitted to the SEA Games Organizing Committee not later than 5 p.m. yesterday, one day after the deadline.

“The deadline actually was yesterday (Thursday) but the Games organizers gave us until today on our request,” Go said.