SEAG ‘19 calendar in a glimpse

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will paint a picture of what the 2019 Southeast Asian Games calendar of events would look like in the next two months, secretary-general Steve Hontiveros said.

Although the final list of sports and events would not make the final cut until a year before the opening ceremony, Hontiveros said a sneakpeek into what sports the country will stage will be known by the end of the year.

“We will have an initial list soon and that list will grow in number until a decision is made in coordination with the SEAG Federation Council and the participating countries,” said Hontiveros.

Last time the Philippines hosted in 2005, it took the overall crown for the first time.

“At this stage, it is much easier to add sports before deciding to cut it down,” he said.

Traditionally, host countries stand to take the most number of gold medals as they are given leeway in including sports that they have great chances of winning at.

While the Philippines acknowledges that fact, the POC insists that it will not stoop to the level of previous hosts that took full advantage of the perk.

POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco believes the excessive inclusion of non-traditional sports is not benefitting the athletes’s performance, stressing that the focus should be on Olympic and standard sports.