Philippines to pick games events

Filipino sport officials are currently deciding how many and which sports will feature in the 23rd SEA Games, which their country will host in 2005.

The Philippines will of course choose sports it expects to dominate, such as baseball, bowling and golf, the chairman of the country’s Olympic Committee, Celso Dayrit, said shortly after the 22nd SEA Games ended.

The country is currently thinking of featuring anywhere from 22 to 30 sports in the games, though the final decision will not be made until the Southeast Asia Sport Federation meets in the Philippines on March 4.

The decision will not be announced until November 30.

Dayrit also said the country wished to make Arnis, a stick prop martial art, a games event. Arnis was a demonstration event in the 16th SEA Games, the last time the games were hosted by the Philippines in 1991.

He said some events in which Viet Nam shined at the 22nd Games, such as fin swimming and badminton, would not be part of the next games.

Despite these new difficulties, Vice Chairman of Viet Nam’s Olympic Committee Nguyen Hong Minh, who was also head of Viet Nam’s sport team in the 22nd SEA Games, said the team will try to finish in the top three in the Philippines.

He said Viet Nam would have to be prepared for the Group 2 events, which involve common Olympic and Asian Games sports, like football and canoeing.

The 23rd SEA Games will be the third hosted by the Philippines, and the country expects it will attract 10,000 international tourists for the event.

The country placed second in the final medal tally at the 16th SEA Games, with 91 gold medals, one short of Indonesia.

The Philippines finished fourth in the 22nd SEA Games with 48 gold medals.

I hope that we will finish at the top this time

i let you know....