The 100-day countdown for the 25th Southeast Asian Games begins today with the Philippines racing against time to prepare a competitive team in Laos.

Twenty-five national sports associations beat the Friday deadline and submitted the names of athletes seeing action in the 10-day conclave.

Based on the criteria that were agreed upon, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) expect between 150 and 200 athletes to make up the delegation.

Leading the contingent is swimmer Miguel Molina, who won four gold medals in Thailand two years ago.

Swimming and diving accounted for 10 of the 42 gold medals won by the country in the previous Games.

Also in the swimming team are gold medalists Ryan Arabejo, James Walsh, and Daniel Coakley.

All five gold medalists in athletics are also returning to defend their titles. They are steeplechaser Rene Herrera, middle-distance runner Julius Nierras Jr., hammer thrower Arniel Ferrera, and long jumpers Henry Dagmil and Marestella Torres.

Billiards is fielding a star-studded team led by Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante and Dennis Orcollo.

Billiards contributed three gold medals in 2007.

Judoka John Baylon is making a record ninth consecutive SEA Games appearance. The 44-year-old veteran is undefeated in the last eight Games.

Absent in the delegation are athletes from basketball, dance sport, rowing, softball, triathlon, and fencing – events that were scrapped from the 2009 calendar.

The Philippines will compete for the first time in fin swimming as well as shuttlecock and petanque that were among 25 events calendared in the biennial event.

Most of the athletes are training at home, although some are overseas like the swimmers and boxers.

The PSC has tapped Chinese coaches to help certain disciplines.

Despite the differences between Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Harry Angping, preparations are going on smoothly, according to chef de mission Gen. Mario Tanchangco.

For the first time, the POC and the PSC did not form a task force to oversee preparations, leaving much of the work to Tanchangco and his counterpart from the PSC, Commissioner Joey Mundo.

So far, Tanchangco said the POC has a good working relationship with the PSC as far as the SEAG preparations are concerned.

“I don’t see any problems,” said Tanchangco, chief of the national sepak takraw delegation.

The POC and the PSC, however, don’t agree on the gold medal forecast in Laos.

Angping said the country stands to win between 15 and 20 gold medals, a prediction that drew a sharp rebuke from Cojuangco who branded the PSC head as a “prophet of doom.”

The former Manila representative said he would be happy to be proven wrong by the national athletes.

Among the NSAs fielding teams in Laos are wushu and cycling that are saddled with leadership disputes.

Tanchangco said wushu and cycling are POC matter.

“It is up to the POC to decide which of the contending parties to recognize,” he said.

The Games begin on December 8 and end on December 18, although football and water polo matches would be held prior to the opening ceremonies.

Football commences on Dec. 3 while water polo starts on the next day.