RP has yet to decide on SEAG cast

MANILA, Philippines - With just six months before the 25th SEA Games fires off in Laos, there seems to be very little progress as far as the composition of the Philippine delegation is concerned.

Mario Tanchangco, chef-de-mission of the RP Team to Laos, yesterday graced the PSA Forum but could not give any definite number on the RP athletes vying in the biennial event.

“We don’t know yet. We don’t know the number yet,” said the RP sepak takraw president in the weekly sports forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue and sponsored by Pagcor and Outlast Battery.

What’s certain, Tanchangco reported, are the dates and venues of the competition, the number of sports disciplines (25 plus the demonstration sport of soft tennis) and the number of gold medals to be disputed (391).

Tanchangco, who said he’s never been to Vientiane, Laos, the site of the Games, added that he’s gotten “no official word” from the Philippine Olympic Committee which has the final say of the composition of the RP Team.

The deadline for the submission of the names of athletes to Laos organizers is set in September, and since there’s no official number yet, he submitted the maximum number of potential RP participants at 300.

“If we use the criteria of gold and silver medalists in the last SEA Games then we will send 150 athletes but if we include the bronze medalists then it’s 300 plus around 50 officials,” he said.

By submitting the maximum number, it would be easier to cut down in size when the deadline comes.

Tanchangco refused to make any prediction on how the Philippines would fare in the medal standings following its overall victory in 2005 in Manila and a dismal sixth place finish in 2007 in Thailand.

“We must remember that in Thailand we won 92 silver medals and 42 of them came when we faced Thailand in the finals. We could have finished No. 2 or even No. 1 there,” he said.

Tanchangco is holding one-on-one meetings with the different national sports associations (NSAs) and called on their presidents to be there.

“They should play an active role here because as presidents they’re the ones who really know if there’s a problem in their sport. They don’t even bother to attend and send their coaches or team managers to the meetings,” said the chef-de-mission.