Philippine Sports Commission chairperson Richard Bachmann was right when he said a few weeks ago that Filipino athletes should focus on the Asian Games and the Olympic Games instead of being satisfied with winning in the Southeast Asian Games.

You see, as I was going through the lineup of the 840-strong Philippine team to the 32nd edition of the SEA Games set to formally kick off this Saturday in Phnom Penh, I saw familiar names that I felt shouldn't be there.

I shook my head when I learned that this female athlete was seeing action in her sixth SEA Games despite not being able to win a single gold medal but a collection of silvers and a bunch of bronzes.

I almost banged my head on the wall in disgust when I read the name of another who was still at it despite making her SEA Games debut back in 2005.

Because of the lack of topnotch talent, national sports associations have been forced to field has-beens and even those who had actually never accomplished anything but still managed to cash in on the financial rewards the government had given in the past.

Bachmann told a group of scribes that it would be better if athletes shift their focus on the Asian Games.

Though he is not belittling the SEA Games, Bachmann said the country's athletes have proven that they can win SEA Games medals at any given day.

But in the Asian Games, it's a different story.

I have always felt that the country would be better off sending members of the national pool to the SEA Games to get experience needed to boost their confidence and also beef up the cast of talents who will step up once the need arises.

But would the coaches allow untested and promising entries to compete?

Hell no!

This is the sad and laughable truth.

You know why?