MANILA -- Around 170 athletes will compose Team Philippines which will compete in the 2018 Asian Games to be held in the cities of Palembang and Jakarta in Indonesia.
This was revealed by Team Philippines chef de mission Julian Camacho after the criteria he submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Board were approved during Thursday's meeting at the POC office in Philsports Arena, Pasig City.
Those who have qualified to join the Asian Games-bound contingent are the 28 athletes belonging to the Siklab Alab Foundation who are being trained for the Asian Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the 10 scholars of the Olympic Solidarity Programme.
Other bases for selection are athletes who landed in the Top 8 of the latest World Championships/World Cup; athletes in the Top 4 of the 2014 Asian Games; athletes in the Top 4 of their sports in the latest Asian Championships/Asian Cup (for team sports, they must rank in the Top 4 among Asian Games countries); gold and silver medalists in the 2017 SEA Games; and athletes/teams missing the qualifying standard marginally but show potential to equal or surpass it in time for the Asian Games.
Camacho said he will start meeting with national sports associations when he returns from Indonesia to attend the 2018 Asian Games' 1st Chefs de Mission meeting on December 13 and 14.
Meanwhile, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez has given his full support for the country's preparation and participation in the Asian Games.
In a meeting with Camacho this week, Ramirez promised to fund three to four months of international training of athletes.
Camacho said he hopes the Philippines can equal or surpass the best performance of four golds, six silvers and nine bronzes, which was accomplished in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar where Ramirez, who was then also PSC chairman, served as chef de mission. (PNA)
