Philippine team, 981 strong, gears up for SEA Games battles in Vietnam
The Philippine delegation joins the opening ceremony of the 2019 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. | Inquirer file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Team revealed its final list of delegates for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) after concluding the registration meeting by the host nation in Hanoi, Vietnam on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
Chef de mission and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez reported that the entire Philippine delegation is comprised of 981 individuals.
641 of them are Filipino athletes vying in 38 sports. The number of athletes has increased slightly from the initially reported 633 and the 841 total delegates.
Fernandez was ably assisted by his deputy chefs de mission Pearl Managuelod and Carl Sambrano in securing the identification cards ahead of the opening ceremony being prepared by host Vietnam on May 12.
“We have to make sure that everything will be in order before our athletes compete for medals. There should be no distractions as they focus on their respective events,” said Fernandez.
In addition, there are 318 officials and 18 support staff who will man the Philippine delegation’s behind-the-scenes. The Philippines’ participation in the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam is bankrolled by the PSC, the government arm in sports, to the tune of P232 million.
Meanwhile, the Philippine kickboxing team started its campaign today, Sunday, May 8, with four kickboxers plunging into action. They are vying for the bronze medals in the quarterfinal bouts which serve also as their first matches.
Jomar Esteban (men’s -57kg) and Carlos Alvarez (men’s -67kg) opened the nation’s campaign in the full-contact event while Kurt Ludan (men’s -54kg) and Jean Claude Saclag (men’s -63.5kg) are booked in the low-kick discipline.
“We have been making the rounds to the venues where our athletes will compete. Our athletes are in high spirits,” said Fernandez.
Last Saturday, the Philippine Team opened their campaigns in football and beach handball with convincing victories, to start the entire delegation’s campaign on a positive note.
The U23 Azkals overwhelmed Timor Leste, 4-0, in the opening match. The handball beat Thailand, 18-16, 18-16, in their opening match.
Filipino-American Ariana Drake was likewise scheduled to take a plunge on Sunday at the start of the diving events of aquatics at the My Dinh Aquatics Center in Vietnam. Based in Los Angeles, California, the 17-year-old Drake saw action in the women’s 1-meter springboard and will participate in the 3-meter springboard on Tuesday.
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