PSC Chair eyes No. 4 in overall standings
PATTAYA, Thailand—Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio is hoping that the delegation will crack the top four in the medal tally in this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The Philippines was coming off a 58-gold medal haul in the Cambodia SEA Games two years ago, good for fifth place, and Gregorio is optimistic that the team can surpass that ranking here in Thailand.
“I certainly hope we can do better than the last SEA Games. It’s difficult to set a target [in golds], but for me, I’m looking more at the rankings,” said Gregorio on Monday after he watched the Philippines face Vietnam in the men’s handball competitions.
Strong fight
Gregorio sees a strong Team Philippines bannered by established names, but he is glad that the 1,600-strong delegation is also composed of some of the future stars that would represent the country in major competitions for years to come.
“But as I’ve said, right from the start, when we sent a very, very good delegation, we know that exposure is also very important, aside from the medal haul. Let’s prepare for the SEA Games, as we prepare for the Asian Games and as we prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics. That is what’s important. Sometimes in sports, what matters is the opportunity to compete first,” said Gregorio.
The Filipinos nearly stunned handball defending champions Vietnam before falling short in a 25-27 defeat at Eastern National Sports Training Center here on Monday.
It was a commendable performance for the Philippines, considering that Vietnam completed a golden sweep in the men’s and women’s indoor handball and men’s beach handball events when it hosted the 2021 SEA Games.
“I think this will show that we are not a team that is easy to push around; our opponents need to prepare for,” said the 6-foot-4 Ethan Casares. “We will fight and that’s what I like about our team.”
