Some PH athletes, teams facing SEA Games snub

MANILA, Philippines – Come December, top athletes in the Asean region will compete in Myanmar in the 27th staging of the Southeast Asian Games. But this year, the country will not be sending a lot of our medal contenders after hosts Myanmar decided to drop a number of sports. Despite placing second in the 2011 Games, the country’s women’s basketball team will not be going. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), which uses a gold medal criteria in the selection, says it will scrutinize every recommendation sent by each national sports association, and from there, will assemble the Philippine delegation. The POC says, even if a team is capable of funding itself and doesn’t meet the gold medal criteria, they won’t be allowed to compete in the games. The Philippines will not be sending a football team to the SEA Games as well. -- Mornings @ ANC, July 25, 2013