BASED on the world rankings, the badminton mixed doubles team of Kennievic and Kennie Asuncion has a slim chance of making it to this year’s Beijing Olympics.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranked the Asuncion siblings at No. 26 as of December 27, 2007 (28,020), or 10 rungs below the top 16 grade to qualify for the Olympics.

They trailed the 16th-ranked Devin Lahardi Fitriawan and Lita Nurlita duo from Indonesia by 6,740 points. To leapfrog to the top 16, they need to earn points in major international tournaments like the BWF Super Series.

Amparo “Weena” Lim remained the only Filipino badminton player to play in the Olympics—1996 Atlanta—after making the grade also based on her world ranking.

The Filipino-American beach volleyball pair of Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua, meanwhile, couldn’t see an Olympic slot in the horizon. They are ranked No. 44 in the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) rankings and to make it to Beijing, they must be at least No. 24 in the world. The pair also has not reached the required minimum number of eight tournaments to be eligible to play in the Olympics.

Cecil Mamiit, who had expressed his intention to qualify for the Olympics, is even farther behind. He is ranked No. 501 in the International Tennis Federation and needs a miracle to catch a slot in the top 64.

Philippine sports officials are eyeing a team of 15 to 20 athletes to the Olympics in August.

So far, boxer Harry Tañamor, taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero, archer Mark Javier and swimmers Miguel Molina, Ryan Arabejo, JB Walsh and Daniel Coakley have qualified for Beijing.

Joan Tipon and Violito Payla will still gun for more Olympic slots in the two Asian Olympic boxing qualifying events in Bangkok from January 24 to February 3 and another in Kazakhstan in March.

Benjamin Tolentino and the rowers have two chances of qualifying for Beijing in the Asian Olympic Regatta in Shanghai in April and the Final Olympic Regatta in Poznan, Poland, in June.

Divers led by Sheila Mae Perez need to place in the top 18 in the FINA World Cup of Diving next month to make the Beijing grade.

Funding is not a problem in RP’s Olympic gold bid

WITH a guarantee that money will not be a problem, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has tasked the associations of boxing, taekwondo, swimming, archery and wushu to immediately submit their budget requirements for the Beijing Olympics.

Korean Shin eyes hat trick

Two-time championship division winner Crystal Shin of South Korea goes for her third consecutive championship in the 45th edition of the Southern Ladies Golf Tournament set from February 6 to 8 at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Binitin, Murcia, Negros Occidental.

INCENTIVES in the form of cash and an overseas stint will be staked in the grand collegiate tournament the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) intends to stage later this year.

Randy Suico may not challenge for the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title in Las Vegas after all.

This after international promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud told the BusinessMirror that world champion David Diaz already has an opponent signed up for March 15 fight.

BASED on the world rankings, the badminton mixed doubles team of Kennievic and Kennie Asuncion has a slim chance of making it to this year’s Beijing Olympics.

THAILAND Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Willy Wang and Mariane Mariano lead a nine-man team that will train in China beginning January 9 for the Beijing Olympics.

WHEN I learned that Ruben Laureano’s prized galloper Irene’s Fantasy will be running in a major stakes late last month, I didn’t wink twice when I told Ruben that his horse would certainly win.