Team Phl urged to scout SEAG rivals

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco yesterday asked the different national sports associations (NSAs) fielding entries to the 2015 SEA Games to do a better job scouting the opposition.

“When they come up with the list of their athletes going to Singapore, we want them to also come up with the list of their potential opponents,” said Cojuangco.

The POC chief said there are times when Filipino athletes enter an event without knowing who or what they’re up against and are placed at a disadvantage.

“They must know their opponents well,” said Cojuangco, adding that by doing so, the Filipino athletes will have a specific goal or target as they train.

Jose Romasanta, POC vice president, echoed Cojuangco’s statement, saying it’s not enough for Filipino athletes to feel that they are one hundred percent ready for battle.

“They must always think that if they are 100 percent ready, their opponents also trained hard of even harder and are 110 percent ready. Always think that your opponent is training harder,” said Romasanta.

“It’s written in the Art of War. Know yourself, know your enemy and win a thousand battles,” said the POC official.

Romasanta will once again play a key role in the formation of the Philippine delegation to Singapore in June as part of the SEAG committee headed by chef-de-mission Julian Camacho.

The other members of the committee are Moying Martelino, Chippy Espiritu and Jonee Go.

Romasanta said they want to make sure that Filipino athletes who will be sent to Singapore deserve to be there.

“But it doesn’t mean that we are the ones who will select the athletes. It’s the role of the NSAs,” he said.

Camacho said there are 36 sports and 402 events lined up in Singapore, and the Philippines is aiming to improve on its seventh place finish in 2013 in Myanmar.

“If we climb two or three notches higher we will be happy. We can even think of winning the overall title. Why not? We must aim high,” said Camacho.