A total of 560 athletes may make up the Philippine team that will compete in this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino said the athletes would compete in 520 events in 38 sports in the 31st edition of the biennial meet, from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2, as approved during the agency’s board meeting at the East Ocean Restaurant in Parañaque.
The Cavite congressman added that the number was based on the Philippine team’s performance when it hosted the SEA Games in Luzon two years ago, where the Nationals took home the overall title.
“The basis of selection primarily hinged on those athletes who won medals in the 2019 SEA Games that we hosted,” Tolentino said. “We also looked at events where the potential of winning the gold medal is very high, as justified by an athlete or athletes’ performance in 2019.”
The Philippines netted 149 golds, 117 silvers, and 121 bronzes in 2019 en route to the general championship, the country’s second overall.
However, Tolentino clarified that the 560 count was based on the “entries by numbers culled from discussions with the various national sports associations last week” and it could possibly be trimmed based on the actual entries by names.
The Vietnam Olympic Committee has given the SEA Games teams up to March 21 to submit their entries by numbers.
The submission of the entries by names is set in August.
The POC is eyeing to make the Top 3 at least in this year’s SEA Games.*PNA
