The Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI) will be sending a mix of foreign- and local-based tankers for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May.
This came after the successful staging of the National Open at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming pool in Malate, Manila recently.
“We cannot say for sure yet what the final lineup will look like, but we do intend to send a competitive team as always,” PSI President Lani Velasco said.
The PH swimming team bagged one gold, six silver and nine bronze medals at the previous edition held at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac in 2019.
The lone gold medal came from Fil-Am James Deiparine, who set a new SEAG and national record in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke.
Aside from Deiparine, who are likely to return to defend his crown, other 2019 SEAG standouts were Tokyo Olympians Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule, Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi and Chloe Isleta, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Thanya Dela Cruz also made her presence known at the National Open after eclipsing the national record in the women’s 50m breast.
Aside from the SEAG, Velasco said they also eye quality tournaments, particularly international exposures, for their swimmers as they seek to send a team to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September and the annual FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in December.
"Should budget, health, and security protocols permit, ideally, we wish to gain some foreign exposure. That's what we've been sorely missing throughout this pandemic,” Velasco said.
They also plan to host more local races as they aim to resume its regular calendar of events as soon as the SEA Games concludes.