Gold and silver medalists in the just-concluded 32nd Southeast Asia Games in Cambodia are potential shoo-ins to represent the Philippines in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Toletino.

The other criterion, Tolentino said, will be based on Asian and world rankings which are essential as the Asian Games is a qualifier to the Paris Olympics next year and the Hangzhou results fall within the Olympic qualifying window which starts June 1 and lasts for a year.

“That’s a parameter. Gold and silver medalists in Cambodia will be strongly considered for the national team to Hangzhou,” Tolentino said on Friday. “They’ll be funded under Group A classification. The rest will be in Group B, but they need to be evaluated.”

The POC has set a Group A classification for athletes who will be funded by the Philippine Sports Commission, and Group B for those whose participation will be shouldered by their national sports associations.

The Philippines clinched 58 golds, 85 silvers and 117 bronzes for a total of 260 medals — a harvest that merited a fifth-place finish overall — in the SEA Games, which was hosted by Cambodia for the first time, from May 5 to 17.

But not all gold and silver medalists in Cambodia are eligible for Hangzhou because some were won in sports that are not in the Asian Games program.

China is hosting the Asia Games for the third time —after Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010 — from September 3 to October 8.

The Philippines won four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals at the 2018 Asia Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. Olympic and world weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz won one, Yuka Saso had two in golf’s women’s individual and team play, and Margiely Didal won one in women’s street skateboarding.

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For more stories on the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, click here.