‘Hi-tech’ media center operates at turtle-pace

The absence of computers in the gathering and distribution of results is the main reason why mediamen, both foreign and local, are having a tough time at the International Press Center of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

Halfway through the Games which is offering a total of 439 gold medals, mediamen have yet to experience a fast, smooth and efficient gathering of results, some of which are coming in hours after the events are through.

Wednesday’s finals in the lightweight single sculls in rowing won by the Philippines’ Benjamin Tolentino Jr., was held at 10 a.m. But mediamen at the IPC only got hold of the official results at 5 p.m.

Over at the Team Philippines Secretariat at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the official results of the same event won by Tolentino were in at around noon, reportedly hand-carried by one of its staff members who came from the venue.

Yesterday’s rowing finals in the lightweight double sculls event was held at 9:50 a.m. By 10:20 a.m. or 30 minutes after the race, the Team Philippines Secretariat already had a copy of the official results.

The IPC, as of 2:30 in the afternoon or almost five hours after the race, couldn’t show mediamen even a faxed copy of the results. Everybody here is hoping for the better in the last four days of the Games. — Abac Cordero