The Philippines could earn at least 220 gold medals in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Leaders of various national sports associations came up with their individual figures, projections and projections following Thursday’s coordination meeting.
Combat sports account for most of the gold medal projection, with arnis tipped to get at least 15 golds from the 20 events on tap.
At least five golds each will come from judo, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, sambo, wrestling, according to predictions forwarded by National Sports Association heads.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman and Team Philippines chef de mission William Ramirez got hold of these figures during the meeting.
Outside of combat sports, Dancesport is projected to get 10 gold medals, while athletics and gymnastics are confident of getting nine.
Skateboarding, which will be bannered by Asian champion Margielyn Didal, are eyeing a sweep of the eight-event competition.
Meanwhile the Philippine Olympic Committee is finalizing its list of flagbearers for the opening ceremonies.
There will be a total of five flagbearers when the games are formally opened during festivities at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on Nov. 30.
Olympian weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, Didal, boxer Eumir Marcial, gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena will serve as flagbearers of the country.
POC president Abraham Tolentino said they will exempt anyone who will have an event on the day after the opening rites.
Meanwhile the Philippine Women’s Volleyball Team’s chances of a podium finish in the 30th Southeast Asian Games remain high even with the possible loss of its key player Fil-Am Kalei Mau.
Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. President Joey Romasanta and LVPI training director Peter Cayco both agree that the National Women’s team have enough talents to win a medal in the 30th biennial games.
Cayco said the Philippine Women’s Volleyball team’s two-week intensive training in Japan last month has tremendously improved the gelling and bonding of the players and this was very prominent during their practices and scrimmages with Japanese ball clubs there.
Romasanta admitted that powerhouse Thailand will be hard to defeat as it is among the best women’s teams in the world but the Phl squad can stand against Indonesia and Vietnam.
Only four teams are competing in the the 30th SEA Games as Singapore pulled out its team due to lack of competitive players to put up a formidable team.
Jaja Santiago and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, who are playing as imports in a Japanese League, also begged off from the team after failing to secure permissions from their foreign ballclubs.
Fil -Am Alohi Robinson-Hardy was also dropped from the list as her Philippine passport is still under process.
The Philippine Women’s Volleyball pool is made up of Alyssa Valdez, Julia Morado, Mika Reyes, Iris Tolenada, Eya Laure, Abigail Maraño, Mary Joy Baron, Maddie Madayag, Roselyn Doria, France’s Molina, Aiza Pontillas, Mylene Paat, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Dawn Macandili and Kathleen Arado.
Philippine Sports Commission funded the Japan training of the women’s team last month and has also approved the two-week training of the Men’s Volleyball team in Japan this November to likewise improve its chances of a medal finish in the SEAG.
Mau has not secured release from the United States Volleyball Association to play for the Philippines to date and this may pose a problem later on.
Mau is given a few more weeks from now to secure the release papers, otherwise she will be dropped from the Philippine women’s team line-up.
Mau is still in the 15-man roster of the women’s volleyball team and will have to comply with her requirements before the team managers meeting to be part of the final 14 players competing in the 30th edition of the SEA Games.