Peping Cojuangco doesn’t care about SEAG gold

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco doesn’t care about the paltry results of the national team in the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar but how the athletes fought and won their medals.

“I don’t care about that,” said Cojuangco when he was asked by government sports radio dzSR recently about the current overall medal tally.

The Philippines won 14 golds, 20 silvers and 25 bronze as of Tuesday, December 17, for seventh overall. Victories in women’s golf individual and team along with a triumph by surging star Christopher Ulboc in the 3,000m steeplechase and in taekwondo raised the total but still behind Singapore, which is in sixth place.

“It’s nonsense looking at the gold medal. Silver is just as good. We are going to keep our heads up high. We fought hard and we won ours legitimately,” said Cojuangco.

“I told our athletes I don’t think you want a medal to remind you of the time you cheated,” he said.

Cojuangco said if it were up to him, he woudn’t have allowed Jasmine Alkhaldi to re-swim the 100m freestyle. Officials had awarded Alkhaldi the gold only to ask the Filipina and two others to return it because of a protest raised by the Thai swimmer. The Thai won the re-swim.

“If I had my say I will not allow her to swim. I think if she didn’t swim that time at least we indicated we don’t agree with the kind of decision,” said Cojuangco.

Cojuangco said questionable results in men’s boxing and some events in the 27th SEA Games prodded him to do something. He did not reveal what action he will take, but said he will raise it during the Olympic Council of Asia meeting in Manila in January.

“I will start by talking about the subject informally and I will ask him (Olympic Council of Asia president) what would be the proper direction to tackle this problem. It’s very possible we could take it up in the general assembly even if it’s a SEA Games Federation meeting,” he said. – Rappler.com