The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Despite the scrapping of four sports and reduced number of events in wushu’s sanda, Philippine Chief of Mission to this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Singapore Julian Camacho remains positive the country could better its 29-34-38 gold-silver-bronze medal haul two years ago in Myanmar.
“We can possibly do it because we will compete in 33 of 36 sports unlike in 2013 where we took part in less than 20 sports,” stressed Camacho who is also the treasurer of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Camacho said he is eyeing 40 to 45 medals for the Philippines. He is positive of hitting the target because the athletes have sufficient preparation and exposure including the wushu athletes, who trained in China.
Camacho didn’t tell the total number of athletes, adding some National Sports Associations have yet to submit their rosters to the task force.
“We will come up with the official number as soon as they send their official entries to us,” he said.
The Philippines placed second overall in the 1983 and 1993 editions held in Singapore behind perennial champion Thailand. It was in 1983 when Elma Muros, Renato Unso, and Isidro del Prado set new SEA Games records and Lydia de Vega who reigned as undisputed queen of the sprints.
Camacho considers the scrapping of chess, wrestling, weightlifting and karatedo and the reduction of events in wushu’s sanda as a big blow to the Philippines’ medal campaign.
“I was upset by Singapore delisting the four sports and lessening the number of events in sanda. It was a big blow to our medal campaign because we are strong in these sports,” said Camacho after looking at the roster of sports at stake in the 28th edition of the biennial meet.
“We already lost more than 10 medals even before the competition could start. We are good for two medals each in chess, wrestling, weightlifting and karatedo and expecting to win two to three medals in sanda,” stressed Camacho acting for the first time as delegation head of the Philippine contingent.
Meanwhile, due to the development, the Philippine Weightlifting Association, headed by new president Roger Dullano, said it will instead focus its efforts in the 2015 SEA Weightlifting Champion to be held in Bangkok after the Singapore games.
“I feel sad because weightlifting is a regular feature and a certified achiever in the SEA Games. We cannot contribute to the medal campaign of the Philippines because weightlifting is not in the roster of sports at stake in the meet,” lamented PWA vice president Delbert Atilano, a former lifter and coach.
In the 1993 games in Singapore, weightlifting won a gold through Samuel Alegada, four silvers courtesy of Jaime Sebastian, Ramon Solis, Nicolas Jaluag, and Arnel Salazar and two bronzes compliments of Luis Bayanin and Roberto Colonia.
Clyde Mariano