The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will name the chief of mission to the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia as soon as POC president Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco Jr. returns from a family vacation.
POC first vice president Joey Romasanta noted the fact that several POC officials have been meeting with the Philippine Sports Commission recently discussing the criteria of the athletes’ selection to the Aug. 19-31 sportsfest.
PSC chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez has met a few times with POC officials Tom Carrasco, Raymond Lee, Dave Carter and Robert Mananquil as they dissect the selection process.
Romasanta said that Cojuangco, who was elected to an unprecedented fourth four-year term last month, is expected to name the CDM on Jan. 20 when the POC holds an Executive Board meeting or on Jan. 26 during 2017’s first General Assembly.
Ramirez had actually formed a Task Force comprising of key members of the POC and the four commissioners of the PSC that will handle the selection of SEAG aspirants.
The veterans of the Rio Olympics, medalists of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the medalists of the last SEAG in Singapore two years ago are already tabbed for inclusion provided that they remain active and in peak form during the qualifying.
There will be 406 events in 38 sports that will be hosted by Malaysia and the Philippines stands to take part in nearly all.
Ramirez is keen on sending a small but fighting delegation to Malaysia as he abhors funding the participation of those ending up being ousted early.
“The Seag is not a contest who among us in the SEAG can field the biggest number of athletes,” said Ramirez.