PH team good for 3rd place

PHILIPPINE Olympic committee officials are confident that the Philippines will meet its target of third place in the coming 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

But POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. said that this will still depend on the number of events per sport to be allowed by Indonesian organizers.
“Depende na lamang iyan kung anong sport o event ang lalaruin. Huwag lang maraming sport na hindi natin nilalaro at kasama sa schedule. If the normal listing of events and sports are to be played, I’m sure we will do a lot better,” Cojuangco said in a radio interview.
The SEA Games Federation Council is set to meet in Bali in the second week of January to discuss and finalize the number of events to be played per sport.
“The discussion of the numbers that will be contested in the upcoming SEA Games will be the final one,” said Indonesian Sports Council chairman Rita Subowo in a statement released through the games’ official website.
Events in the 26th SEA Games has been spread over two major destinations – Jakarta and South Sumatra.
Organizers plan to host 45 sports disciplines, with events totaling around 400 to 500.
As hosts, Indonesian organizers have the prerogative to choose which sports are to be played and the number of events per sport.
Some 6,000 athletes from all 11 Southeast Asian countries are expected to compete in 44 events at the 2011 games.
Venues are now being readied for the sporting events to be held in the cities of Palembang, Sumatra and Jakarta.
Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia said national athletes billeted in dormitories located inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila will be relocated to more suitable units starting this year.
Garcia said the agency plans to transfer the athletes within the month as the PSC has set to accomplish its goal of improving the living conditions of national athletes staying at the complex for the past several years.
“We will make sure that this will be a priority as we start the year,” said Garcia.
Garcia admitted that the PSC was not able to address this issue when he was appointed last July because of his busy schedule and other pressing matters.
But Garcia saw for himself the need to transfer the athletes following an ocular inspection last week, where he saw the cramped quarters of the 115 athletes living inside the complex. Peter Atencio