PH Asian Games task force seeks to avoid record tampering

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)-Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) Asian Games Task Force says it will thoroughly scrutinize the times of all measurable sports to avoid tampering of personal records on all athletes that are vying for spots on the country’s delegation to the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Athletics, canoe-kayak, cycling, rowing, swimming and triathlon are some of the measurable sports that will be played in the 17th edition of quadrennial Asiad. 

Asian Games Task Force member and POC Chairman Tom Carrasco said they are hoping to preserve the integrity and credibility of all times and records of all national athletes.

“We have a folder with all the athletes that each national sports association (NSA) submitted that they want to be included to the national delegation. We’re hoping to continue with this kind of practice to avoid malpractices of the NSAs,” said Carrasco during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum

The Task Force said they will be strict on the personal records in all measurable sports that each NSA will submit. They have been validating all times and other results after news broke out of an alleged tampering of records in track and field. 

The Task Force has set the criteria on all measurable sports based on Asian Games records where the athletes’ times must be within striking distance or close to the medal winners in the quadrennial sporting event.

The POC will be holding a board meeting where one of the issues that will be tackled is to form an independent body that will investigate the alleged tampering of records.

Twenty-seven NSAs have signified their intention to join the Asian Games set in South Korea’s northwestern city of Incheon set from September 19 to October 4. 

The men’s basketball team Gilas Pilipinas, the men’s rugby squad Volcanoes and women’s softball Blu Girls have already qualified to the country’s Asian Games delegation after finishing in the top five of their respective Asian championships.

Badminton and handball will not participate while baseball and the men’s Under-23 football team said they will compete in the Asian Games if they passed their respective qualifying tournaments.

Carrasco added that the PSC has allotted P80 million ($1,792,080 USD) as the country’s war chest for the Asian Games. The Asian Games Organizing Committee has also set an April and August deadline for each country’s entry by numbers and names, respectively. – Rappler.com