SEAG sports set by July

Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) co-director of sports Red Dumuk said yesterday he expects the list of sports and events for the 2019 SEA Games to be finalized by mid-July with the participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs) set to submit their suggestions for review by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on or before June 13.

An initial roster of 30 sports was approved by the SEAG Federation Council in a meeting here last May 17. The list of 30 sports went through deliberations at the SEAG Federation executive committee level the day before. Under the SEAG Federation charter and rules, a host nation must stage at least 22 sports in the 11-nation conclave that is held once every two years. The list must include the Category 1 compulsory sports of athletics and aquatics, at least 16 Category 2 Olympic and Asian Games sports and a limit of 12 Category 3 traditional or indigenous sports.

The 30 sports approved by the SEAG Federation for the next SEA Games in the Philippines on Nov. 30-Dec. 10, 2019 are the two Category 1 compulsory sports, 27 from the list of 44 Category 2 sports and only one, arnis, from 22 Category 3 sports. For a team sport to be included, at least four countries must participate and for an individual sport to be considered, at least three countries must compete.

According to SEAG Federation executive committee chairman and former POC president Celso Dayrit, the charter sets no age parameters for participation of athletes unless the Council approves exceptions. At the 2017 SEAG in Malaysia, the Council approved an age exception for men’s football with an under-22 limit and an allowance of up to three overage players.

Dayrit said he expects different NOCs to push for preferred sports. PHISGOC executive board covice chairman and POC president Ricky Vargas said the list of sports may be expanded to over 40, depending on discussions with the participating NOCs. Under Category 3, for instance, the list could add a maximum of 11 more sports with bodybuilding, e-sports, obstacle course and darts as possible inclusions.

Dumuk, who co-chairs the PHISGOC sports committee with POC chairman Rep. Abraham Tolentino under deputy director general of operations Tom Carrasco and director of operations Ed Picson, said he will push for the final list by July 15 to give the NOCs enough lead time to prepare their athletes. The list of sports will be submitted for formal approval by the SEAG Federation Council at its next meeting, tentatively on Nov. 24, in Manila. The countdown for the SEAG will be launched at the New Clark City on Nov. 30.

Dayrit said a sport may list events not to exceed five percent of the total events in the SEAG. “If arnis, for instance, intends to put up 20 events, that means the total events must be at least 400,” he said.

Dayrit said the host nation may suggest the staging of demonstration sports to the SEAG Federation Council. “Medals may be awarded for demo sports but they won’t be counted in the official standings,” he said. “It’s like Arianne Cerdena winning the Olympic gold in women’s bowling, a demo sport, in 1988. We don’t lose anything by putting up demo sports. In fact, we could gain a lot. A country may want to include field hockey and donate a playing turf and equipment. So why not add field hockey as a demo sport? We could end up with a playing turf and equipment and the bonus of learning how to play the game. Another example is vovinam which is a Category 3 sport that Vietnam will include in the 2021 SEA Games. We could add it as a demo sport when we host so we’ll be ready to play it competitively in 2021.”