By Kristel Satumbaga
The Philippines will be fielding in 1,868 athletes and officials to the 30th Southeast Asian Games that the country is hosting late this month.
The delegation includes 1,115 athletes and 753 coaches and officials, making it the biggest delegation since the country last hosted the biennial meet in 2005.
In that edition, 892 athletes and 308 coaches and officials participated in 40 sports to emerge the overall champion with a 113-gold, 84-silver and 94-bronze medal haul.
Team PH is also the biggest delegation in this year’s meet followed by Indonesia with 1,702 that include a large number of self-funded athletes and officials.
The Philippine men’s basketball team under coach Tim Cone is among those seeing action in the the 30th Southeast Asian Games. (MB photo | Rio Deluvio)
Singapore will be sending 1,591 followed by Thailand with 1,473, Malaysia with 1,076 and Myanmar with 952.
Vietnam, which will be hosting the 2021 edition, will be fielding in 890 athletes and officials after it decided not to field entries in team events except in football, volleyball and men’s basketball.
Cambodia will be sending 510 delegates, followed by Laos with 419, Brunei with 257 and Timor Leste with 221.
Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) officials, however, said the number of entries might still get trimmed down a little during the delegation registration meeting on Nov. 19.
A total of 530 gold medals are at stake in 56 sports this edition with Team PH hoping for an improved performance from the 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition where it went home with 24 gold, 34 silver and 63 bronze medals.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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