Asian Games chef de mission Joey Romasanta said that most of the young athletes in the contingent are members of the country’s developmental pool and were included in the line-up to give them the much-needed exposure and prepare them for future stints abroad, including next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

“It should be noted that 20 percent of the delegation are developmental athletes. May laban sila. Pero ang mga inaasahan nating mga beterano ay 60 percent ng delegation,” said Romasanta.

The young hopefuls include Youth Olympic Games and swimming sensations Jessie King Lacuna, Jasmine Alkhaldi and Fil-British Charles Walker.

Archery has Anthony Adriano, while Alex Generalao and Danny Funelas will see action in the canoe/kayak events. Cycling also has young bidders in John Renee Mier and George Oconer.

Gymnastics will send an inexperienced pair in Frances Munoz and Ma. Victoria Recinto, while shooting will send youngsters Alyanna Chuatoco and Charisse Palma, even as taekwondo also has a newcomer in Fil-American Pauline Lopez.

Meanwhile, a total of 16 torch bearers participated in the 1,500-meter relay, circling along the side of Guangzhou International Sports and Performing Arts Center as the Asian Games Torch Relay entered its third day, according to the games’ official Web site.

The Torch Relay passed through the districts of Liwan, Baiyun, Haizhu and Huangpu on Monday (Nov. 8).

The Guangzhou Asiad boasts of having the most number of venues available for competitions in the history of the Asian Games, with around 53 competition areas and 17 independent training facilities on hand.

Among the facilities available are the Aoti Sports Centre, the Tianhe Sports Center, the Guangzhou University Town (Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre) and the Asian Games Town.

Games venues are scattered throughout Guangzhou’s 10 districts, two county-level satellite cities and the three co-host cities of Foshan, Dongguan and Shanwei.

At the close of Monday’s Delegation Registration Meeting, Deputies chef de mission Mauricio “Moying” Martelino and Benjamin “Chippy” Espiritu, finalized the administrative details for the entire contingent that includes 53 coaches, 17 managers, 12 headquarters staff members and a 10-man medical crew that comprise the leanest delegation assembled for an Asiad in the last 25 years. Filipino athletes will be seeing action in only 29 of 43 sports as a result of a stringent selection process employed by the POC which sought to improve the athletes-to-medal ratio from the last Asiad in Doha, Qatar where a total of 253 athletes came home with a 4-6-9 gold-silver-bronze tally in 2006.

Peter Atencio, Manila Standard Today