SEAG delegation: It’s quality, not quantity

MANILA, Philippines - It’s not only for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar where the Philippines will send only those with real chances of winning the gold.

The Philippines will field no more than 200 athletes to Myanmar in December in what should be the smallest SEA Games delegation ever.

“The purpose is to send only those with good chances for the gold,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco.

It may continue in future editions of the biennial event where the Philippines is normally represented by around 500 athletes or even more.

To make sure the size of the delegation is reduced, the POC has dropped the “have-money-will-travel” policy that gives an athlete or teams the chance to compete in the SEA Games even if they don’t pass the criteria.

Most affected by this approach are team sports like football, dragon boat, volleyball or even baseball or softball.

The Philippine Sports Commission, the government’s funding arm in sports, said it will no longer spend for team sports with no clear shot at the gold.

The PSC is no longer willing to spend as much money for a team composed of 20 or 40 athletes plus officials if there’s no clear chance at the gold.

“This should have been done a long time ago. Now we have designed criteria where those who will compete will really go for the gold,” he said.

“It’s no longer the number or the quantity but the quality. We will only send our top athletes. The SEA Games is no longer meant for exposure,” the PSC chief said.

But it doesn’t mean that the PSC will no longer fund the overseas training and exposure of the athletes.

“There are other international tournaments for them to be exposed,” said Garcia, who believes they can draw the same result with a smaller delegation.

“If you send 50 athletes and we win 40 gold medals then it’s better than sending 200 or more and winning 40 golds,” he said.

Garcia said this also applies to athletes in measurable sports like track and field, swimming or weightlifting.

“If you are three seconds behind a medal, you will not run three seconds faster because you are there,” he said.