POC body to finalize Doha roster

Hopefully, the list of Filipino athletes competing in this year’s Asian Games in Doha, Qatar will be finalized today.

The Asian Games Task Force headed by athletics chief Go Teng Kok will present to the Philippine Olympic Committee executive committee the list of athletes that have passed the criteria.

Go said yesterday that 192 athletes are already on the list, a big jump from the 129 that was announced two months ago. Go said the number could even reach 200 if there are late inclusions.

Go said around 40 officials will join the RP delegation.

The task force last week forwarded a tentative list to the POC headed by Jose "Peping" Cojuangco. To be presented today is a revised list, which includes the names of the athletes.

The lunch meeting is set at the Makati residence of Cojuangco.

Once it gets the list, the POC executive committee will make a thorough review and deliberate on some aspects. If there are no issues raised, the list will be declared final and official.

"The final say will come from POC president Peping Cojuangco. The task force only makes the recommendation based on the criteria," said Go during yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Pantalan Restaurant.

"The POC executive committee will tackle the issue tomorrow whether or not the list could be finalized. There may be changes. The number can either go up or go down," said the athletics president.

Joining Go in the weekly forum were RP chief of mission Mario Tanchangco of sepak takraw and technical committee head Nestor Ilagan of rowing.

The Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee (Dagoc) has given all participating countries until October or two months before the Games to submit the final list of their respective delegations.

Go said the Philippines, which won three gold medals in the 2002 Busan Asian Games, will compete in at least 20 sports disciplines in Doha. He said chances are high in boxing, bowling, billiards, taekwondo and wushu.

"We’ve given the task force the right to make a recommendation. Then the POC will decide. If there are lapses, then probably changes will be made," said POC spokesman Joey Romasanta.

"But we don’t see any problem," he added.