Task force to push for lean Team Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The criteria for inclusion to the Philippine team to the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur should guarantee a lean and mean delegation.

“The NSAs (national sports associations) have accepted the criteria. And if we stick to the criteria we’re not going to have a bloated delegation,” said the head of the SEA Games joint task force.

“It’s almost the same as the previous criteria but we will be more strict this time,” said Tom Carrasco of triathlon following another meeting among the members of the task force.

Composing the group that will oversee the formation of the Philippine delegation to this year’s SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur are seven representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission and five from the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Representing the PSC are commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Arnold Agustin and Celia Kiram, national training director Mark Velasco, executive director Carlo Abarquez and senior executive assistant Ronnel Abrenica. From the POC are Jonee Go of canoe-kayak, Raymond Lee Reyes of karatedo, Dave Carter of judo, Robert Mananquil of billiards and Carrasco, also the POC chairman.

Whoever POC president Jose Cojuangco appoints as chef-de-mission to the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games will be included in the task force.

Carrasco said on top of the criteria is the performance of the athletes in the 2015 SEA Games where the Philippines fielded 472 athletes in 35 sports and brought home 29 gold, 36 silver and 66 bronze medals.

By tradition, medalists in the previous SEA Games are considered for inclusion but will need justification from their respective NSAs.

“As long as they are still active and still competitive and with NSA justification then they’re in, and they should be nominated by the NSA if they are still competitive,” said Carrasco.

Medalists in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (1-3-11) will make it to the team only if they have maintained their competitive level along with the qualifiers in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Those who performed well in recent world championships or Asian championships will be considered.

“But there is no automatic inclusion. Not even the gold medalists in the last SEA Games or Asian Games or other major events are automatically included. Even if you’re a gold medalist,” said Carrasco.

Young athletes with very little international experience but with great potential to win medals in the coming SEA Games may be included.

Carrasco said not even the inclusion of these younger athletes should lead to a bloated delegation or one that’s bigger than the 2015 squad of 472 athetes.

“I don’t think so because even PSC chairman Butch Ramirez and POC president Jose Cojuangco have agreed on this,” said the POC chairman.

The task force is in the process of scheduling one-on-one meetings with as many as 25 NSAs that will field athletes in Kuala Lumpur so they could discuss the respective needs of the NSAs – from their candidate athletes to their training schedule and budget and equipment to be purchased.

“For the next few weeks we will sit down with these NSAs,” said Carrasco.