The Philippines will reduce its participation in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam. While the games will feature 40 sports and more than 520 events, the Philippines won’t be joining all of them.
Philippine chef de mission commissioner Ramon Fernandez of the Philippine Sports Commission said this on Friday following a meeting with Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino.
The national delegation will be seeing action in just 38 sports disciplines.
“Instead of 40 sports, we will be playing 38. And we will be sending all the medallists in the last SEA Games,” said Fernandez.
The PSC commissioner said discussions with the national sports associations on the Philippines’ medal chances will be tackled in the coming days.
The Philippines’ preparation for the biennial meet has been slowed down by restrictions imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemics.
But Vietnam’s efforts to host the games and the preparations of other member nations have also been affected, too.
While the venues involved are scheduled to be completed by September 30, 2021, many countries like the Philippines and Malaysia are making adjustments with their training programs.
Filipino athletes are preparing for the games virtually, while waiting for the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to go into physical training.
According to reports, Malaysian athletes have found venues to train in while undergoing quarantine.
Vietnamese organizers are fixing 41 sites nationwide to host events.
There are 23 venues are in Hanoi, 15 of which are under the city’s management.
