POC undecided on bid to host Asian Beach Games

MANILA, Philippines - The Olympic Council of Asia has written the Philippines Olympic Committee regarding the country’s planned bid to host the 2014 Asian Beach Games.

The official ABG website listed Boracay, which is 45 minutes south of Manila by plane, as host of the 2014 staging of the event.

But POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco said the RP bid is still up in the air considering the huge amount involved in hosting the biennial event, which draws at least 40 countries.

The first ABG was held in Bali, Indonesia in 2008 when the Philippines won two silver and eight bronze medals. This year’s edition is set Dec. 8-16 in Muscat, Oman.

Cojuangco said as much as he wants the country to host the 2014 ABG, he wondered if there is enough money in the coffers to host such an event, considering its magnitude.

The POC president said to make a formal bid, a country needs to shell out $30,000, and once the bid is accepted another $180,000 would be needed as the official entry fee.

And it doesn’t stop there, according to Cojuangco, because once that the country wins the bidding, the OCA would require another $1 million just to guarantee that it can smoothly host the event.