Cash-strapped RP trims athletic team

Cash-strapped RP trims athletic team

MANILA (DPA): The Philippines, hard-hit by the regional
economic crisis, has cut back the number of athletes it will send
to the 13th Asian Games in Thailand later this year.

The cash-strapped Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Thursday
praised the Amateur Track and Field Association for its decision
to reduce its 7-member team to one athlete, "long jump queen"
Elma Muros-Posadas, for the Dec. 6 to 20 event in Bangkok.

"It is a good thing that they are beginning to respond to our
call for prudence," said PSC chairman Butch Tuason. "I hope other
sports associations will do the same."

Mario Tanchangco, deputy chief de mission of the Philippine
delegation, said at least 8 million pesos (US$200,000) will be
saved if only 167 qualified athletes and 68 officials are sent.

The commission had earlier warned some athletes they would
have to pay for their transport to Bangkok.

Under the current calculations, each Filipino athlete is
allotted 61,000 pesos ($1,452) for their air fare, accommodation,
uniforms and allowances.

Go Teng Kok, president of the Philippine Amateur Track and
Field Association, said, "We support moves to cut cost,
especially during these hard times".

"We understand the predicament of our sports leaders who have
to look for money to support us. Even the POC is having a hard
time coming up with the money from the private sector and we
don't want to become a burden to them."

Sports columnist Rudy Navarro, writing in the English-language
newspaper Tempo, said Go "deserves kudos for taking the lead in
belt-tightening".

The Philippines will only send two swimmers, Ryan Papa and
Kathy Echeverri, the only ones to make the grade in the recent
try-outs held by the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association.

Team events such as basketball, rowing and softball will have
full delegations of 12 each. Fencing and shooting, where the
Philippines has strong chances of winning, will have 10 members
each.

More than 10,000 athletes and officials from 43 countries are
due to travel to Bangkok for what has been billed as the biggest
Asian Games in the event's 37-year history.

Athletes will compete for 377 gold medals in 38 events. The
deadline for submitting the athletes' names to Bangkok is Nov. 5.

Sports leaders in Malaysia have said they will only send their
gold medalists from last year's Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta.