3,800 athletes to vie for medals in PHL National Games

source: gmanews

BACOLOD CITY – A total of 3,800 athletes will be competing in 34 events when the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) National Games opens here on Sunday.

Aside from Bacolod City, events in the week-long competitions (from May 22 to 29) will also be held in Bago, Talisay and Silay cities.

The POC and PSC will also use the PNG as a national open tournament for all National Sports Associations (NSAs).

More than 600 Philippine team members, athletes in the national training pool and a host of young aspirants will be vying for National team spots that will see action in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Palembang province, Indonesia in November.

"The members of Team Philippines are participating because this is the first step towards the SEA Games," said POC chairman Monico Puentevella.

PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia said they are expecting a lot of national records to be broken since spots in the SEA Games are stake.

"Anybody who will break any record, we'll strongly endorse him to the NSAs. I'm sure if the NSAs see that these athletes are breaking national records, they'll go out of their way to recruit them," Garcia said.

Brothers Phil and James Younghusband, members of the Philippine Azkals, will be joining 4,000 runners in a fun run side event of the POC-PSC National Games.

The canoe-kayak and dragonboat competition starts at the Bago City Bantayan Park, while arnis matches will be held at the Silay City Plaza.

source: gmanews