Philippine Sports News and Updates

The Philippine women’s basketball team is going to Thailand, but like most team sports bound for the 24th Southeast Asian Games, it has to pay for its own members’ tickets.

SEAG Task Force secretariat chief Joey Mundo said the Philippine Sports Commission cannot afford to squeeze the women’s squad in the P50-million plus budget for the 400-strong athletes since they do not meet the criteria set by the task force.

The task force requires that a sport must have won a medal in the last SEAG or must be a measurable sport and should have passed a qualifying meet.

Basketball representative Nic Jorge has earlier asked the task force to include women’s basketball in the official RP roster, saying that the team will most likely win a medal in the Souitheast Asia Basketball Association championship slated in October.

But the Seaba has been moved to Oct. 15, or seven days past the Oct. 8 deadline for the submission of official entries to the Thailand organizing committee.

“Although Mr. Jorge promised that the RP Team will win the bronze medal in Seaba tilt, we can’t wait that long dahil may deadline naman na in-impose sa amin ang organizers,” said Mundo,

“So to make it fair to everybody, we suggested that whatever the outcome of their campaign in Seaba, we will include them in the SEAG team but they have to pay for their own trip,” added Mundo.

SourceL Manila Standard Today