PHL targets 5th place finish in SEA Games

After a dismal seventh overall finish in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games two years ago, the Philippines is determined to bounce back with at least a fifth place target in the 28th SEAGames slated on June 5-15 in Singapore.

”Our target is fifth place or fourth if we will get have a chance,” Julian Camacho, chief of the mission of the Philippine delegation to the biennial sports meet, said during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Shakey’s restaurant in Malate, Manila.

Camacho said the Singapore-bound Filipino athletes are more prepared compared to the team that finished 7th in Myanmar in 2013, the country’s worst-ever performance since competing in 1977.

”We have much, much better team compared to the previous SEA Games,” Camacho, also president of the Wushu Federation of the Philippines, told the sports media.

Camacho said the Philippines will be sending 578 delegates, including 451 athletes who qualified to represent the country to the 11-nation biennial meet.

The Philippines is hoping to compete in at least 34 of the 36 sports disciplines calendared for the 28th edition of the regional sportsfest where 402 gold medals are at stake.

”We will not be sending athletes in field hockey while we’re hoping to send our floorball team under pay-your-own trip,” Camacho said.

Camacho refused to give as to how many gold medals the Philippines will bring home but when asked if 57 gold medals are achievable, he replied: “I think we can surpass 57 golds.”

Camacho said the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) has allotted PhP38 million for the participation of the 578-member Philippine contingent to the Singapore SEAGames.

In the last 2013 SEAGames, the Philippines managed to bring home only 29 gold, 34 silver and 38 bronze medals behind Thailand (107-94-81), host Myanmar (86-62-85), Vietnam (74-85-86), Indonesia (65-84-111), Malaysia (43-38-77), and Singapore (34-29-45). PNA