Banayag, women chess team delisted: Asiad roster down to 190

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine team roster to next month’s 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China further went down to 190 athletes after marathon bet Jho-Ann Banayag was officially delisted from the contingent.

Chef de mission Joey Romasanta told The STAR that Banayag has been removed upon the recommendation of athletics president Go Teng Kok yesterday, the same day the chess federation withdrew its five-member women’s team.

Banayag was dropped from the list as a disciplinary measure for defying the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association’s rules barring a marathoner from participating in a 42K race three months before a major competition.

Banayag took part and emerged as the top Filipina campaigner at sixth overall in the Camsur Marathon last Sept. 24, less than two months before the Asiad slated Nov. 12-27.

Go said aside from pulling her out of the Asiad, the Patafa has slapped a six-month suspension on Banayag, who claimed she still went ahead with her Camsur stint because she needed the prize money for her family.

Team RP will thus field in only seven bets in athletics, including Arnel Ferrera (hammerthrow), Rene Herrera (steeplechase), Eduardo Buenavista (marathon), Marestella Torres and Henry Dagmil (long jump) and Rosie Villarito and Danilo Fresnido (javelin).

Banayag was removed less than a month before the Asiad, along with lady chessers Cheradee Camacho, Sherily Cua, Catherine Perena, Rulp Ylem Jose and Jedara Docena.

The five chess players were pulled out of Team Philippines after the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) itself volunteered their removal, citing lack of training and slim chances to win a medal.

The RP delegation has actually been reduced by 50 bets since Friday, counting the 44-member men’s and women’s dragonboat teams that failed to get the green-light from the POC executive board.

Romasanta said the 190-athlete delegation remains the same in so far as competitiveness is concerned but “in terms of athletes-to-medal ratio, we’re better off now.”

For his part, PSC OIC commissioner Chito Loyzaga said the substantial number of deductions in the team will “definitely reduce the PSC’s expenses for the Asiad.”

But he also assured the affected athletes of the commission’s “continuous support as they gear up for future competitions such as next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.”