Make the grade, pay way to SEAG

MANILA, Philippines - The “have-money-will-travel” policy for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar will only apply to team sports that have realistic chances of winning the gold medal for the Philippines.

“It still depends on whether they can win or not,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco yesterday before he left for Lausanne, Switzerland.

Cojuangco made it clear that the Philippines is sending a small delegation to Myanmar to show its “displeasure” on the way the hosts have tried to run the Games.

The Philippines, according to chef-de-mission Jeff Tamayo, is all set to submit the number of entries to the organizers of the SEA Games scheduled in December.

Tamayo said they’re looking at 250 athletes. But it doesn’t mean that it’s the final number because the deadline for the official list with names is still months away.

Cojuangco, who will attend the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) meeting in Lausanne, said Tamayo can proceed with the sending of the number of entries.

“It’s not that important because we can always reduce the size when the deadline for the submission of the names comes,” said the POC president.

Cojuangco is on the same page with Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia regarding the sending of a token delegation to Myanmar.

They are protesting Myanmar’s decision to remove Olympic sports such as gymnastics, beach volleyball and lawn tennis in exchange for traditional and indigenous sports like vovinam, kempo and chinlone (cane ball).

They are looking at around 100 athletes or even less to represent the country in the biennial event. These are individual athletes and none from team sports.

But Garcia said a few days ago that a team with solid chances of winning the gold, like basketball or dragon boat, may join the delegation if they can look for their own sponsors.

“But that’s if the team is qualified or has met the criteria because if not, then the problem comes in. They may have the money but if they’re not qualified…,” he said.

“The have-money-will-travel was first accepted as an alternative for team sports if they can look for sponsors. But we studied it and found some repercussions.

“Kung may pera ka nga, hindi ka naman qualified, then it will be unfair to qualified athletes who cannot find the sponsors,” said Garcia.