SEAG heroes call on GMA today

Team Philippines, which finished fourth in the recent 22nd Southeast Asian Games, pays President Arroyo a courtesy call this morning to present not only the 48 gold, 54 silver and 75 bronze medals it garnered but proof that a formula has been found to guarantee a strong finish in the biennial games.

Now considered a tried and tested formula for the SEA Games, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), which facilitated the government funding of the campaign, has attributed the success to a monitoring scheme that led to the fourth-place finish.

"Hardly did many notice but the PSC has since last November been focused on the games in Vietnam," said PSC chairman Eric Buhain. "The preparations were done in earnest and the result came in so very satisfactorily."

Buhain praised all the athletes, who conquered the odds in making the goals a reality. "Not even what certain sectors criticized as demoralizing — the delay in allowances for the team — could stop the athletes from delivering," said Buhain.

"The athletes proved they are not moved by material or financial motivations, but through their dedication as national athletes and their love for flag and country," he said.

President Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo are expected to greet the athletes over lunch at the Heroes Hall. Both the President and the First Gentleman were behind the team all the way, supporting them both morally and financially, with Atty. Arroyo personally flying to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for the Games.

There were delays in the allowances of athletes but it was because of minor hitches in securing dollar currencies for the delegation. Some athletes felt alluded to that the late disbursement of allowances had caused some demoralization.

"I believe that is not true," said Buhain. "The athletes are national athletes and many of them were offended about the allowances playing a significant role on their performance. Money does not inspire them, but their role as national athletes do."

But it was the monitoring team of the PSC, which helped achieve the goals. The team is composed of former bemedalled national athletes and support personnel led by former Sea Games champion Benjamin McMurray. Its members include Rommel Kong, Leo Carl Mendoza, Lloyd Llamas, Jercel Leiren, Johanna Garcia Kong, Tria Bascon, Jun Veloso and Nestor de la Cruz.

The scheme was to directly monitor the progress, program and the needs of the national sports associations, which took part in Vietnam. As a result, 95 percent of the 48 gold medals won was predicted by the monitoring group.

Results from the games further showed that with Vietnam’s 158 gold medals, bagging a third of the gold medals staked is enough for the overall championship. There were a total 444 events in the Vietnam Games.

"It is attainable," said Buhain. "And 2005 looks bright especially that our focus would be going for No. 1. We almost did it in 1991 so in 2005, we will go for No. 1, nothing less."

Eighteen NSAs contributed gold medals to the RP cause with athletics, wrestling, fencing, taekwondo and wushu topping the list. Of the 28 sports the Philippines participated in, the country won at least a bronze in 25 of them.