Photo caption: POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (6th from left, first row) with national sports association presidents and representatives. | Photo from the POC
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Philippines picked 814 athletes for next year’s 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia through the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
This is after, the POC headed by its president, Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, completed the two consultative meetings with the country’s national sports associations or NSAs on Monday.
“It’s again a fighting team and the goal is to send the best full contingent as possible,” Tolentino said in a press release from the POC.
Cambodia will host the SEA Games with 49 sports events from May 5 to 16, 2023. At stake is a total of 608 gold medals—the most in this biennial meet’s history.
The Philippine delegation is expected to have its back against the wall as Cambodia imposed a rule that its athletes could field a 100-percent participation in combat sports or martial arts.
Most of the martial arts featured are indigenous sports such as Kun Bokator and Ouk Chatrang, stakes 26 gold medals.
In last May’s 31st SEA Games in Vietnam, the Philippines fielded 656 athletes. It finished with 52 gold medals, 70 silvers, and 104 bronze medals for a total of 226 medals, good for fifth place.
Vietnam dominated the meet with a 205-125-116 (gold-silver-bronze) tally, followed by Thailand at second with a 92-103-136 tally, and Indonesia at third place with a 69-91-81 tally.
The last time the Philippines topped the SEA Games was in 2019 when it hosted the meet.
/bmjo
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