Filipino SEAG bets need to train soon – Fernandez

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s chef de mission to the 31st Southeast Asian Games wants the national athletes to train the soonest possible for them to have a chance of at least a top three finish in the biennial event.

“After our Olympic athletes, our next target is to have our SEAG athletes train soon,” said Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who has flown to Manila from Cebu last Tuesday to start work for the Hanoi Games. "How soon it is, we still don't know because it will still be up to government when will they allow non-Olympic athletes to train."

The four-time PBA MVP said the focus for now is the ongoing training of the Olympic hopefuls from boxing, taekwondo and karatedo at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

After that and if government gives it a go, it will be the turn of national athletes seeing action in the SEAG.

Fernandez said the initial goal is try to match the overall title the country won when it hosted the SEAG two years ago. If it couldn't, ending up in the top three will be good enough.

Interestingly, a PSC man in the person of chairman William Ramirez was CDM when it achieved the 2019 feat.

“We already know the formula but we also hope we’ll be given the same support,” said Fernandez.