By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Sen. Pia Cayetano: Unacceptable and defeatist. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Pia Cayetano on Monday bewailed as "unacceptable and defeatist" the decision of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to send "no more than 200" athletes to the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar in December, and to reserve the slots only for those with the potential to win gold at the games.
Citing reports from the sports pages, Cayetano noted that the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) had clarified that of the 200 slots submitted to the organizers by a joint task force, 90 were reserved for individual athletes, while the rest were allocated for team sports.
"This appears to be the smallest Philippine delegation ever to be sent to the SEA Games. Sports observers note that we have sent at least 500 athletes or more in past stagings of the biennial event," Cayetano, a triathlete, said.
The senator said she would call for a probe into the country's preparations for the 2013 SEA Games "including the reported exclusion from the national delegation of national athletes in various sports competitions, due to the decision of the POC and the PSC to send only athletes who, in their own narrow criteria, have the potential to bring home a gold medal for the country."
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/pia-cayetano-seeks-probe-of-leanest-ph-sports-contingent-yet/
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