Vargas is chef de mission to 2028 LA Games

MANILA, Philippines — Ricky Vargas was named chef de mission to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Al Panlilio will handle the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) made key appointments during its first General Assembly for the year yesterday at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Parañaque City.

Also appointed, according to POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, were Rep. Richard Gomez for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Dr. Jose Raul Canlas for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and Stephen Arapoc for the Chengdu 2025 World  Games.

“The objective is to prepare our teams – and athletes – in earnest for the international competitions, that’s why the chefs de mission were appointed,” Tolentino said. “If we prepare early, there will be no excuses.”

Richard Lim of karate is chef de mission to the Asian Winter Games in Harbin that starts Feb. 7 to 14 while a ched de mission has yet to be named for the Third Asian Youth Olympics Games from October 22 to 31 in Bahrain.

Vargas is a former POC president and currently the ABAP chairman.