Unity key to SEAG overall title chase

Southeast Asian Games chef de mission Monsour del Rosario urged officials to focus their efforts on the task at hand as the country chases the overall title in the 2019 hosting of the Southeast Asian Games.

“We have to set aside our personal interests and work together as a team,” said Del Rosario, the 2017 Man of the Year in world taekwondo.

And Del Rosario is basing this call on experience.

The Makati City representative and secretary general of the Philippine Taekwondo Association experienced triumph first hand when he worked as chef de mission of the national delegation in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games last year in Turkmenistan.

“I had seen it in Turkmenistan. We were very successful over and beyond my imagination because of the good rapport that we had from the officials and secretariat to the coaches and the athletes,” said Del Rosario.

The Philippines more than surpassed its previous medal collection in the 2014 Incheon Aimag of one gold and two bronze medals by bringing home two golds, 14 silvers and 14 bronzes from Turkmenistan.

“Let’s work for the country and fight for our people. Let’s show the world what the Filipino people can do,” said Del Rosario, who already has karatedo’s Raymund Lee Reyes and Bobby Bachman of squash as his deputy CDMs.

Also being considered to join them as deputy CDMs are canoe-kayak chief Jonne Go and rugby’s Ada Milby.

The former movie star and taekwondo champion isn’t the type to make bold predictions but is certainly aiming for a repeat act of the overall title Filipino athletes captured in the 2005 SEA Games — which was the last time the country hosted the event.

“No matter how super my DCDMs are, no matter how good our coaches and athletes are, if we cannot put our personal differences aside, trust me, we will not even achieve third place,” said Del Rosario.