Asiad-bound bets still below norm - Angping

MANILA, Philippines - Not even those under the list of elite athletes that will represent the Philippines in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November stand close to the bronze medal standard in the quadrennial event.

Not yet.

“As of now, those in the elite group are still short, very short of meeting the standard of at least a bronze medal,” said outgoing Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping.

But it doesn’t mean that these athletes, who receive monthly allowances of at least P20,000 from the PSC, won’t stand a chance of landing a medal when the competitions are held from Nov. 12 to 25.

Angping said there’s enough time for these athletes to reach their peak.

“They still have more than four months to work harder and meet the bronze standard. And when they get there, then there’s the chance of winning the silver or even the gold,” he said.

In the Asian Games, the competition gets so tight that the difference between winning the bronze and the silver or the silver and the gold comes by the hundredths of a second in measurable sports.

In case of the subjective sports, it sometimes boils down to one clear punch or a solid kick.

“Once you meet the standard for winning the bronze, then you get the chance to win the silver or the gold. That’s the benchmark. And our athletes still have time to do it. We can make it,” said Anping.

There are already 16 athletes under the elite list, and over 200 more in the training pool, each one of them still hoping to make the elite list by the time the Asian Games begins in November.

In the elite list are taekwondo’s Japoy Lizardo, Marlon Avenido, Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero, swimming’s Miguel Molina and Daniel Coakley, athletics’ Marestella Torres, billiards’ Rubilen Amit, chess’ Wesley So, Joey Antonio and Darwin Laylo, karatedo’s Marna Pabillore, sailing’s Reneric Moreno, tennis’ Treat Conrad Huey and Cecil Mamiit and bowling’s Biboy Rivera.

Angping wants the PSC to fund only those with chances of winning medals for the country while the Philippine Olympic Committee wants maximum participation of over 200 athletes.

The POC believes that every athlete who passes their own criteria should be given a chance to compete, and maybe use their experience in the Asian Games for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.