PSC: We are confident the President is aware of the athletes' needs.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

ALL 445 athletes in Team Philippines are in high spirits and their confidence so strong going into the 22nd Southeast Asian Games which starts this week in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and nine other cities and provinces in Vietnam.

Chair Eric Buhain of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) admits to having goose bumps all over just thinking of the experience of competing in the games and bringing honor and glory not only to himself but to the entire country.

"I could still feel it," said Buhain, the former champion swimmer who ruled the SEA Games pools a decade ago. "Each time I see and send off our team, I cannot help but get that athletes' feeling over and over again."

The high morale is crucial for the athletes who will compete in 28 of the 32 sports Vietnam has calendared this time. And in their effort to bring honor and glory to the country in their respective fields, the government has, time and again, proven itself as a vital factor.

Buhain notes that government plays a major role in the SEA Games as it also does in the Asian Games, the Olympics and all other international sports competitions by providing the funds not only for the actual participation, but also in preparing and training of the athletes.

The 445-strong roster, according to Buhain, would require a total of P55 million for actual participation and another P35 million for competition equipment, which is aside from the P100 million already spent by the PSC for their training and preparation.