Baseball chief justifies SEA Games inclusion
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Baseball chief justifies SEA Games inclusionMANILA, Philippines -- Not fielding a baseball team to the Thailand Southeast Asian Games is more shameful than hoarding free chocolates.
Baseball chief Hector Navasero said his team is the defending champion and he sees no reason why it should be excluded from this year’s meet slated Dec. 6-16.
The Philippine Olympic Committee has ordered an overhaul of the team for winding up dead-last in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, among others.
“Sorry, we lost. But we didn’t commit any wrongdoing so why persecute us?” said Navasero. “Have they forgotten that we’re the defending champions in the SEA Games?”
Navasero also denounced the statement of a POC official, who refused to be named, that the Olympic body was displeased with reports from Doha Asiad organizers that some team members carted away free chocolates, hence their reported omission from the SEAG roster.
“I see nothing wrong with it,” Navasero told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net. “The chocolates are free. And besides, the organizers just throw the chocolates away if nobody cares to touch them.”
Navasero said not sending his team to Thailand will be “more humiliating than taking home all the chocolates in the Asian Games.”
“If they exclude us in the SEA Games, what will they tell the other countries? Will they say that the Philippines couldn’t send a baseball team for lack of funds?” said Navasero.
Navasero’s wards got swept in the Doha Asiad baseball competition which culminated in a 1-8 thrashing by Thailand.
Despite the criticisms, the Philippine Sports Commission agree with Navasero.
“As far as the PSC is concerned, our baseball players are qualified to join the SEA Games,” said deputy chef de mission Ritchie Garcia, one of the PSC commissioners who represents the government agency in the SEAG Task Force.
posted by SEAGAMES 2009 @ Saturday, August 04, 2007,
