Foreign bets to be quarantined?

Foreign athletes, coaches and officials coming in from countries with reported SARS cases might be forced to undergo quarantine procedures before they are allowed to compete in international tournaments lined up in the country this summer.

National sports associations hosting the events, therefore, would have to spend more since they must extend their invitations earlier than usual to allow the foreigners to come in at least seven days before the actual competition.

Foreign delegates are normally booked in the fine hotels with their expenses, including airfare, being shouldered by the respective NSAs with help coming from the Philippine Sports Commission.

The Word Health Organization has put up stringent measures to prevent the spreading of the deadly virus, like the setting up of a seven-day quarantine or incubation period for visitors from SARS-infected nations. So far, there have been 3, 272 reported cases worldwide with 130 deaths.

"Sports associations can advise foreign contingents to come early, at least a week before the actual competitions so that athletes, coaches and officials could undergo quarantine proceedings," Dr. Troy Gepte, of the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center, said recently.

"Sports organizations hosting international events here are advised to coordinate closely with concerned agencies like WHO, DOH, the PSC and those directly involved," he added.

Among the international meets likely to be affected are the Asian men’s and women’s softball championships set May 31 to June 7 in three venues in Metro Manila and the Milo National Open Track and Field Championships from May 31 to June 6. The Southeast Asian Juniors Table Tennis championship slated April 22 to 25 has in fact been reset to September due to SARS.

Expected to participate in the three events are athletes from SARS-infected countries like Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The softball event will also have athletes from South Korea, Chinese-Taipei, India and Iran coming in.

Local track and field president Go Teng Kok, however, said yesterday Hong Kong and Vietnam have decided against competing in the Milo event to be used in determining the members of the RP team that will see action in the 22nd SEA Games in Vietnam this December.

"Mas maganda na nga wala ang Hong Kong, Vietnam or even Singapore para walang problema with SARS," said Go. "Ang importante pumunta ay yung mga athletes from Malaysia and Thailand dahil ito ang mga kalaban natin sa SEA Games. At isa pa, mababa naman ang SARS cases sa kanila."

Upon the advise of the DOH, Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit the other day cancelled his trip to Vietnam for a Southeast Asian Games Federation meeting on April 25.