PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino will attend the chef de mission meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam next month with an intention of submitting the same number athletes — 626 — it has passed during the last deadline before the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games was reset from this year to May next year.
The number, which was spread through 39 of the 40 sports calendared in the Hanoi Games, is more than half of the 1,115 the country fielded in the last edition of the biennial meet where the Filipinos ran away with the overall title after raking in 149 golds, 117 silvers and 121 bronzes.
“Although the SEA Games are just months away, we believe the hosts are doing everything for a successful hosting,” said Mr. Tolentino. “They’re prepared, because if not for the pandemic, the Games should have been done and over with this time.”
The congressman from Tagaytay City said their target of at least a podium finish in the Hanoi tilt remains the same.
“This has been prepared with the end mind of victory for our beloved country, to be able to do our best and continue to defend our title as overall champion,” said Mr. Tolentino.
Joining Mr. Tolentino in the face-to-face meeting are Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) board member and Hanoi SEA Games chef de mission Ramon Fernandez, obstacle course’s Atty. Alberto Agra and Muay Thai’s Pearl Managuelod among others.
The second Chefs de Mission and Technical Delegates Meeting are set on March 13.
The POC will also discuss this week the submission of entry by numbers to the Huangzhou 19th Asian Games, which is slated in September also next year, on or before December 31. — Joey Villar
