Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Philippines will send 395 athletes to the 19th Asian Games from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 in Hangzhou, China, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday.
"The number reached 400 but was later trimmed down after a series of deliberations by the POC and the national sports associations,” Tolentino said after the POC General Assembly at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Pasay City.
He said the athletes will compete in 37 of the 40 sports calendared in the biennial sports meet which China will be hosted for the third time.
The Philippines is hoping to duplicate or surpass the four gold medals it won in the 2018 edition of the tournament co-hosted by Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, and golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go won the four gold medals. The country also clinched two silvers and 15 bronzes in Indonesia.
Tolentino said swimmer Kayla Sanchez, who had represented Canada before, is expected to win five medal medals.
The POC chief also announced the appointment of Philippine Skating Union president Nikki Cheng as deputy chef de mission to the Asian Games.
Cheng, who speaks fluent Chinese, will join chef de mission Richard Gomez and deputy Karen Caballero.
“Her expertise in communicating in the Chinese language will really help us there,” Tolentino said.
Meanwhile, the POC has accepted the International Jet Sports Boating Association as its 55th regular voting member with the Cheerleading Association of the Philippines as the ninth associate member. (PNA)
