The Philippines is targeting 50 gold medals at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, one of their biggest tallies on foreign soil, the head of the country's delegation said Friday. Chef de mission Cynthia Carrion-Norton said 50 was a "reasonable" target based on estimates by the national commissions of each sport which will compete from next week in Kuala Lumpur.
"The president of each sports commission promised me and it was (a total of) 63 but I don't expect that. I think aiming for 50 is more reasonable," she told AFP. Carrion-Norton said the commissions were told to be realistic in giving their targets, recalling: "I said if you think you can't do it, lower (the target)."
A haul of 50 gold medals would be the best showing since the Philippines' record high of 113 when it hosted the regional multi-sport event in 2005, Carrion-Norton said. But since then, the Philippines' successes have dwindled, with only 29 golds in 2015. They won 57 golds in Singapore in 1993, and 59 in Jakarta in 1987. Carrion-Norton said the Philippines is expecting five golds in both wushu and archery, and four each from lawn bowls and taekwondo.