497 bets banner Philippines SEAG bid

MANILA, Philippines - With all the entries from 38 national sports associations accounted for, the number of the Philippine delegation to the coming Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia was pegged at 497 athletes and 163 coaches.

The 660-strong contingent will be accompanied by an estimated 70 to 75 members of the medical team and secretariat, according to Philippine Olympic Committee chairman and SEA Games task force exec Tom Carrasco.

The task force finalized the roster after the local deadline lapsed last Tuesday, although Carrasco said the final composition of 24-member Gilas Pilipinas and Perlas Pilipinas basketball teams was only expected by June 27 yet.

“The list still is subject to approval, first by the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) for funding purposes, and then by the POC executive board for final approval,” Carrasco stressed.

This year’s delegation was bigger than the 472-athlete, 136-official team sent to Singapore in 2015 to compete in 35 sports.

Based on the current list, football is bringing the biggest delegation with a combined 40 players for the U-22 team and the women’s squad.

Athletics is sending 38 bets while aquatics is fielding 29 composed of eight swimmers, 13 water polo players, four open water swimming participants, and four synchronized swimming bets. Rugby sevens and volleyball are both entering men’s and women’s teams of 12 players each while ice hockey and lawn bowls are naming 20 apiece.

Carrasco said of the 497 athletes, 58 of them belong to the so-called “developmental” category like netball and indoor field hockey.

“These are sports with teams that are just recently formed. They may have to go self-funded if the PSC won’t be convinced of their qualification,” he said.