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Source: gmanews.tv

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is amenable to the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) plan to support lean Philippine teams to the 3rd Asian Indoor Games and the 25th Southeast Asian Games.

But as to the actual composition of the contingents, that’s something that’s off-limits to the government sports agency, the POC executive board insists.

“Payag kami na sundin sila (PSC) sa number ng delegations na gusto nilang suportahan. Pero kailangang ang POC ang siyang maglalagay ng pangalan ng mga atletang ipadadala at hindi sila," said POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. after Tuesday's POC board meeting.

The PSC, under chairman Harry Angping, has earlier approved a 37-man Philippine delegation to the AIG set in Hanoi, Vietnam from Oct. 30-Nov. 8 and a 200-man RP contingent to the Laos Games set Dec. 9-18.

Of the 37-man crew to Hanoi, 29 athletes are in the PSC-approved roster but the POC maintained it should be the athletes who passed the screening of their respective National Sports Associations (NSAs) who should see action.

For the Laos SEA Games, the POC endorsed 213 athletes but the PSC trimmed it down to 153.

“We (POC) are mandated to select the athletes to compete in international competition. This is emphasized not only in our own (Olympic) Charter but also in Republic Act 6847 which created the PSC. Hindi namin puwedeng isuko ang aming papel sa isang ahensya ng gobyerno dahil sila ang may pera dahil mawawalan kami ng saysay dito at lalabangin namin ang aming charter at ang PSC Law," explained Cojuangco.

The POC earlier threatened to withdraw participation to the AIG after NSAs complained that the PSC altered the roster of athletes they endorsed.

“It would be a pity to our athletes who have trained very hard but will be replaced because the PSC does not like them. The athletes endorsed by the POC were screened properly by the POC and the NSAs and we will not allow athletes who are from NSAs not recognized by the POC to compete in international competitions," Cojuangco said.

The same position applies to the sending of the RP team to the SEA Games, Cojuangco stressed, and the Olympic body will formally inform the PSC of such stand.

The Philippines intends to compete in 11 sports in the Asian Indoor Games with athletics, archery, billiards, boxing, chess, muay and shuttlecock seeking funding from the PSC. Bets in basketball (3-on-3), bowling, swimming and wushu are supported by private sponsors.