Big wave of Phl bets hits Village

GUANGZHOU – Chief of Mission Joey Romasanta ushered in 98 athletes and officials to the doors of the sprawling Games Village of the 16th Asian Games, hopeful of improving the output from four years ago from a mixture of veteran and youthful campaigners tapped to spearhead the country’s campaign here.

The group includes a 10-man medical team, coaches and managers of 12 disciplines and officials from the Philippine Sports Commission who will attend to logistical needs of everyone in the delegation that will officially reach 271 in time for tomorrow’s opening of the quadrennial meet.

Counting the three-man triathlon team and the 10 other members of the advance crew, the Philippines already has 112 inside the village which is expected to house 12,000 for the duration of the 16-day sporting event.

This big number cannot be totally accommodated at the “Island in the Center of the Sea,” the literal translation for Hai Xin Sha, the stadium for the opening day parade. As a result, only about fifty per cent of a delegation may march in the parade of contingents while the rest can only watch from the grandstand seats.

It is also expected that security would be extremely tight although local officials do not anticipate any type of tension or untoward incident despite publicized political policy differences between some of the 45 member nations.

“This will be strictly a sports gathering and we will highlight the quality of brotherhood that exists in the region and among the members of the Olympic Council of Asia, no politics,” said a security chief who refused to be named.

Meanwhile, the Philippine flag will be officially hoisted inside the village today in a ceremony to be attended by Consulate and delegation officials.

Before noon yesterday, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and judoka John Baylon ran the Philippine leg of the Asian Games Torch Run, which will wind up on opening day inside Hai Xin Sha which will seat hundreds of thousands of guests and spectators, including heads of states and members of the Royal families from the region.

Among the teams that arrived today are the dancesports, gymnastics, judo, shooting, tennis, rowing, cycling, soft tennis, weightlifting and wushu.

Asiad show jumping gold medalist of 2002, Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and the country’s flag bearer in the opening day parade will arrive Friday along with Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia.

Also in that group is POC chair Monico Puentebella, POC vice president Manny Lopez and PSC commissioner Buddy Andrada.

“This is the leanest delegation for an Asian Games in a quarter of a century and it even includes a developmental pool which we hope to make strong for future international meets such as the Southeast Asian Games and of course, the next Asiad in Korea,” Romasanta said upon arrival at the Welcome Center.

 Officials of the London Organizing Committee, particularly the Asian Regional coordinator, Sarah Paterson and Continental manager Andre’ Bourgeois, are set to meet with POC officials here to exchange notes for the forthcoming Olympic Games in 2012.

“This is an opportunity to discuss with POC what type of preparations the Philippines is making for the London Games. It would also be nice to watch Filipinos compete in the Asian Games,” the two said during a visit to the Philippine headquarters inside the village.