Ricky Vargas targets 120 SEAG golds

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas yesterday challenged Team Philippines to win an unprecedented 120 gold medals in the coming Southeast Asian Games even as he announced plans for a  “reward system” for the champs.

“I’d like to hear the national anthem of the Philippines in the SEA Games played a hundred and twenty times,” Vargas said during the delegation assessment meeting organized by chef de mission and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez.

He issued the challenge in front of executives and representatives of 56 national sports associations (NSAs) who joined the POC, PSC, Philippine SEAG Organizing Committee chairman Alan Peter Cayetano and Assistant Secretary Kim Uy from the Office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

The country has breached the 100-gold mark only once before, when the Filipino bets captured 113 in a breakout performance on home soil that sparked Phl’s milestone overall championship in the biennial meet. 

This year, a total of 550 events will be staged and the POC chief believes that winning 120 golds – though never achieved before – is not an impossible task.

Vargas said they are working on an incentives program for the SEAG winners. 

“I’ve also spoken with politicians and the private sector to work on a reward system for all the athletes who will bring home the gold,” he said of the bonus scheme different from that guaranteed by the government.