POC sends team to oversee athletes’ needs in ‘11 SEAG

MANILA— Philippine chef de mission deputies Romeo Magat and Julian Camacho flew yesterday, to Indonesia to check on venue and billeting concerns that could affect the country’s participation in the Southeast Asian Games next month.

The two are under instructions from the Philippine Olympic Committee to get a clear picture of the situation so that the national delegation could make the necessary adjustments for its stint in the Nov.11 to 22 Games.

According to the Jakarta Globe newspaper, trucks and heavy equipment are still present at venues such as the Jakabaring Sports City aquatic center with less than a month left.

Construction of several other venues in Palembang, the main hub of the Games, is also said to be behind schedule.

“We’ve been hearing news that aquatics will be transferred to Jakarta while organizers have also raised billeting and accommodation concerns,” said Magat, secretary general of the Philippine Tennis Association.

The progress of work at the venues for athletics, beach volleyball and baseball are also reportedly slow in Palembang.

“The organizers assured us that every thing is on schedule,” said Magat, who would tour the venues in both Palembang and Jakarta with wushu’s Camacho. “We want to know the real score.”

Magat and Camacho are the POC’s point men in Palembang and Jakarta, respectively.

Indonesia is hosting the biggest SEA Games in history with 42 sports featuring 500 events.

The country plans to send a 745-strong contingent, 534 of them athletes who will compete in 39 sports.

The Jakarta Globe also reported that organizers may have to deal with the likely possibility of flooding in Palembang.  /inquirer