The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is pulling out all the stops to ensure Filipino athletes are ready for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games from 9 to 20 December in Thailand.

PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said that most of the athletes’ needs, from tracksuits to allowances, will be handed out before the end of the month as they look to improve on the country’s 58-gold medal haul from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

The Philippines will send around 1,600 athletes to this year’s SEA Games and a send-off ceremony will take place on 28 November with President Fredinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in attendance.

“In the next few days, their tracksuits, suitcases and allowances will be released before the end of November.  President Marcos will send them off,” Gregorio said.

“We will be sending more or less 2,000 delegates, including the coaches, so we support all of that.”

More than just attempting to raise the country’s medal tally, Gregorio wants the athletes to use the SEA Games as their proving ground.

“When will we ever give them the chance to compete in the international scene? That’s just the first step,” Gregorio said.

“So, we will show that we support them so that they get the exposure and confidence to compete. Winning the medal is, of course, the most important thing, but giving them the exposure, the confidence to compete, moving forward because they’re very young athletes, that will give us a stronger Philippine national team.”

Olympic stars Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting, Carlos Yulo of gymnastics, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial of boxing and Ernest John Obiena saw action in the SEA Games before making it big.