Mikee named RP flag bearer

The Philippine Olympic Committee yesterday named equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski as flag bearer and taekwondo jin Marie Antoniette Rivero as torch bearer of Team Philippines seeing action in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5.

POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. said the decision negated an earlier plan to choose flag bearer through a popular contest via mobile phone texting.

"It was different from what I suggested that the selection should be done through texting. The board said we have a criteria to follow," said Cojuangco. "It was the decision of the board, I didn’t take part in the discussion."

Cojuangco-Jaworski’s name was considered after the 2002 Busan Asian Games gold medalist announced recently that she’ll be coming out of retirement to don national colors.

The 19-year-old Rivero, for her part, was chosen because of her gallant stand in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The other nominees — Vilma Ronalyn Greenlies of lawn bowls, Mark Rae Ramirez of softball, Walter Bacay, Rick Nacional and Jun Rae Dayumat of dragon boat, Marestelle Torres and Arnel Ferrera of athletics, Rene Catalan of wushu and Toni Leviste of equestrian — will also take part in the torch relay at the Luneta Grandstand.

Wushu chief Francis Camacho will leave for Hanoi, Vietnam next month to fetch the Games’ ceremonial torch and will be brought straight to Cebu on Nov. 12 and to Bacolod City three days after.

From the Panay Islands, the torch will be ferried from Mindoro to Los Baños, Laguna before being passed to other venues like Marikina City, Antipolo City, Subic and Manila.