(NI JEAN MALANUM)

PAG-UUSAPAN ang criteria at paraan ng pagpili sa mga atletang isasabak sa 30th Southeast Asian Games sa ikalawang Team Philippines Assessment Meeting na pangungunahan ni Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez sa Hulyo  17 sa Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

Inaasahang dadalo sa nasabing miting ang pangulo at secretary general ng mga national sports associations na kasali sa SEAG.

“We need to come together as a group to agree on the criteria. The PSC recognizes its strengths and in this case our strength lies in the knowledge of our partners on their specific sports,” sabi ni Chef de Mission (CDM) Ramirez kahapon.

Ang meeting ay gagawin para masiguro na ang preparasyon ng Philippine delegation ay tuluy-tuloy kahit na may gusot sa liderato ng Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“We are looking into using the latest SEAG, Asian Games and World-level performances of our athletes as bench-marks for selection. Basically the same criteria used by CDM teams in past multi-sports events we participate in but crafted to serve our purpose for the SEAG,” dagdag ni Ramirez.

Simula nang ma-appoint na CDM si Ramirez noong Mayo, abala siya sa pag-asikaso sa mga pangangailangan ng mga atleta katulong nina Commissioners Celia Kiram, Arnold Agustin, Charles Maxey at Ramon Fernandez na itinalaga niyang deputy CDMs kasama nina Stephen Fernandez ng taekwondo at Ada Milby ng rugby.

“We are keeping our focus on the athletes. Madali madala sa mga issues but as our President instructed, we need to shield the athletes from all these confusion, so that is the direction we are taking,” sabi ni Ramirez na nagsilbi ring CDM noong 2005, ang pangatlong pagkakataon na ginawa dito ang SEAG.