Biggest ever SEAG in the works

With six more sports expected to be approved, the 23rd Southeast Asian Games the country is hosting next year could be the biggest in terms of participation.

"It’s definitely going to be the biggest edition considering that six more sports are expected to be approved in October," Philippine Olympic Committee secretary-general Romeo Ribaño said. "This would mean more athletes, coaches and officials will be coming in."

There are so far 34 sports–including the 21 listed as "priority" –approved by the SEA Games Federation which met in Manila early this month.

Five of the six additional sports expected to be approved before the October deadline are lawn tennis, weightlifting, bodybuilding, squash and Muay Thai, a form of martial art from Thailand.

Issues pertaining to the country’s hosting of the biennial meet as well as the Philippines’ participation in the Olympic Games this August in Athens, Greece will be tackled when the POC and the Philippine SEAG Organizing Committee (Philsoc) officials meet today in a general assembly in Makati City.

Meanwhile, Cebu City remains confident it could come up with at least five sports required by the Philsoc for it to become one of the two provincial venues of the 2005 Games.

Cebu Sports Commission chairman Jonathan Guardo has already invited judo, karatedo and pencak silat officials to a meeting this weekend. Guardo is already assured of dance sports to be held at the Waterfront.

Sepak takraw, chess and Muay, if approved, are also reportedly interested to hold their events in Cebu. Basketball is also being considered but the Philsoc has already ruled against staging the sport outside of Metro Manila, the Games’ main hub.