The Philippines women's floorball team has withdrawn from the SEA Games at the last minute on June 2 for unspecified reasons, leaving behind only three teams to compete: Hosts Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

This has left the organisers in a bit of a quagmire as they do not have the minimum required number of teams to start the tournament. Each medal event at the biennial multi-sport Games for the 11-nation bloc requires four teams to proceed.

However, according to Sani Mohamed Salim, the president of Singapore Floorball, the tournament will still go ahead.

Sani told Reuters the Philippines team withdrew after the initial registration phase last month and was hoping that Indonesia might step in to take the vacant spot.

Negotiations are underway as Sani also said he was unsure whether organisers would remove the bronze medals and only permit gold and silver to be handed out in the reduced event.

Meetings over the coming days would determine any changes in the competition format.

Sani added the Filipino men would still take part.

This is the first time floorball, a fast paced version of indoor hockey, is to feature at the SEA Games for both men and women. It is scheduled to start on Tuesday, June 9.

It made its full debut after being a demonstration event two years ago in Myanmar.

Singapore, which introduced the sport for this Games, is expected to win both men’s and women’s golds.

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