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Winners welcome Dec. 19
THE welcome rites in Malacañang for the Filipino medalists of the Doha Asian Games will be held as originally scheduled on Dec. 19.
President Macapagal-Arroyo has agreed to meet the returning sports heroes earlier so they can enjoy their cash incentives at once and have more time to be with their families for the holidays.
Rep. Monico Puentevella, who is also the Philippine Olympic Committee vice president, announced the change in the scheduled welcome ceremony for the athletes, who won four golds, six silvers and nine bronze medals in the 45-nation sportsfest which ended yesterday in Qatar.
The main bulk of the Asiad winners will arrive tomorrow and will be joined by other medalists who had flown in early this week for the usual courtesy call on Dec. 19 at 10 a.m.
This year’s Asiad haul is the Philippines’ best performance since the 1962 Jakarta Games where the country picked up seven golds on top of 6 silvers and 24 bronzes.
The country’s finest Asiad showing was in the Manila edition in 1954 where the host nation won 14 gold medals, 14 silvers and 17 bronzes to place second overall to Japan. Marc Anthony Reyes
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