POC rules no shoo-ins to SEAG team

MANILA, Philippines - National athletes seeking berths to Philippine team bound for the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 11-25 in Palembang, Indonesia will have to work for their inclusion to the RP contingent.

The Philippine Olympic Committee made the decision after meeting top officials and representatives of National Sports Associations at the POC office in Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

“We discussed the formation of the national pool and the process in selecting athletes which will be different from the past,” said POC official Mark Joseph, who also heads the aquatics association.

“In the past, if you’re a medalist, you’re automatically in. But now, everyone starts from scratch as a training pool member,” Joseph added.

POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. broached the idea of giving young athletes even chances of making the team with former medal winners who are past their prime.

“Medalists of two or three SEA Games ago are no longer shoo-ins in the national team,” said Cojuangco.“In the past, younger athletes had a hard time making it to the team because the former medalists usually made it there first.

“Now, we will give them equal chances to make it to the national team. All of them should earn it,” added the equestrian chief and former Tarlac Representative.

Joseph said they’re giving national sports associations until March 2 to submit their list of candidates for Palembang.

At the same time, the POC named POC vice-president Manny Lopez, Joseph, soft tennis chief Jeff Tamayo and Philippine Sports commissioner Akiko Thomson to compose a task force that will monitor and evaluate the training and progress of the athletes.

“We will have all our national athletes appraised each month until we come up with the final roster in the final month before the SEA Games,” said Cojuangco.

The Filipinos are bracing for what promises to be the biggest SEAG edition with a total of 542 events in 44 sports lined up by the Jakarta SEAG Organizing Committee.

The SEAG Federation Council will finalize the list of events in a meeting tomorrow in Bali, Indonesia where the Phl will send a team headed by PSC commissioner Chito Loyzaga to oppose the possible delisting of billiards and snookers – a traditional gold mine for the Filipinos.

The 2007 SEAG in Thailand had 473 events in 43 sports while Vietnam put up 444 events in 42 sports when it hosted the 2003 games.