FOR some National Sports Associations, the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in March 2021 will test whether they will be able to field athletes in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Chania in September, according to national team chief of mission Ricky Lim.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino announced last week that the country will take part in 21 out of 31 sports in the 6th AIMAG set March 10 to 20, 2022 in Bangkok and the province of Chonburi, Thailand.
Of these disciplines, nine are in both continental sportsfests, namely, 3×3 basketball, jiu-jitsu, karate, kurash, sepak takraw, shooting, skateboarding, taekwondo and wrestling.
The other sports where the national standard-bearers will participate are billiards, bowling, chess, dancesport, esports, indoor athletics, indoor rowing, pencak silat, kick boxing, muay thai, sambo and volleyball.
“Given the scarce funds, the AIMAG will serve as a gauge of how many athletes these NSAs will be able to field in the Asian Games. If you can’t deliver in Thailand, why send more athletes to the Asian Games?” Lim explained.
“I myself am thinking of sending only our best medal prospects to Thailand,” Lim, the Karate Pilipinas Sports Foundation, Inc. president, said.
Tolentino said last week that he would lobby Congress for more funds to four international events — the Asian Games, AIMAG, Winter Olympic Game and Asian Youth Games — where Pinoy athletes are expected to compete.
Tolentino said this was due to the financial constraints being faced by the Philippine Sports Commission, whose National Sports Development Fund was cut due to the diminished monthly remittances of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. due to pandemic.
