Laos SEA Games is POC’s least priority in ‘09

MANILA, Philippines – The scaled-down edition of the Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos will be the least priority of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) this year. This was according to Philippine Amateur Sepak Takraw Association (PASTA) president (Ret.) Gen. Mario Tanchangco adding that the POC has shifted its priorities in three international tournaments. “We are still starting to prepare and we are awaiting word on Laos regarding the delegation to be sent. Kasi, hindi naman ito ang priority ngayon eh (Since this is not one of the top priority)," said Tanchangco, who was named Chef de Mission by the POC to the Laos SEAG last week. Tanchangco said the Asian Martial Arts Games, the Asian Youth Games, and the Asian Indoor Games are the three international meets which will be POC’s priority. Philippine Judo Federation president Dave Carter, table tennis’ Cesar Binag and wushu chief Julian Camacho were named heads of delegation in three different sporting events. Carter was Chef de Mission of the Asian Martial Arts Games from April 23 to May 1 in Thailand, Binag heads the delegation in the Asian Youth Games in Singapore from June 29 to July 7 while Camacho leads the contingent for the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam from November 2 to 11. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has allocated a P30 million budget for the SEA Games, which sports officials believe that only few athletes can be sent to Laos with medalists in previous major international meets No.1 on the list. Aside from the P30 million budget, the athletes will also get priority funding from the government’s sports arm. Certain sports events were dropped from the Laos Games due to non-availability of international standard competition venues, lack of equipment and non-existence of national sports associations for a large number of sports. Laos has included athletics, archery, swimming, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karate, sepak takraw, shooting, soft tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, wushu, muay thai, petanque, silat, shuttlecock and fin swimming in the 2009 program. – GMANews.TV