400 athletes make initial list for Singapore SEAG

MANILA, Philippines - Team Philippines will be represented by a contingent of 400 athletes, including bets from the Gilas cadet and the U-22 Azkals, in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

According to chef de mission Julian Camacho, the management committee endorsed 400 slots from 33 sports to the Philippine Olympic Committee after its series of meetings and deliberations.

However, he stressed that the number could be trimmed down if the women’s volleyball team will eventually be dropped due to the unresolved dispute in the volleyball federation.

“Eksakto 400, maraming team sports dito (It’s exactly at 400, largely due to the presence of team sports),” Camacho said yesterday, referring to entries in men’s and women’s basketball, softball, rugby sevens, and men’s football, which form the bulk of the delegates in the list.

Camacho said despite the leadership problem of the volleyball federation, they have reserved berths for the 12-member team for now.

“We have allotted 12 slots for them. Kung hindi sila sasama, 388 na lang (If in the end, the women’s volleyball team will not be given the go-signal by the POC board, then the delegation will be down to 388),” said the official.

The POC has stripped the Philippine Volleyball Federation of recognition and disbanded the national squads that the latter has assembled. The Olympic body has called for the formation of a new pool to be handled by coaches Roger Gorayeb and Sammy Acaylar.