MANILA -- Vietnam will be tough to beat on home soil, but the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) remains confident that Filipino athletes will give all their can in the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.

"Our athletes will fight and will do their best to bring the overall championship back to the country," said POC President Rep. Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino.

Tolentino is in Cambodia, where the SEA Games council met for the second time this year to discuss both the Hanoi SEA Games and the 2023 edition of the event in Cambodia.

As hosts, Vietnam will field the most number of athletes at 965 -- 534 men and 431 women. According to Hanoi media, they are projecting to win 140 golds, 77 silvers, and 71 bronze medals.

Vietnam programmed 40 sports with 526 events, five less than the Philippines held in 2019.

Tolentino said he is confident that Filipino athletes will deliver because majority of the 656-strong Team Philippines clinched medals in 2019 when the country dominated with a 149-117-121 gold-silver-bronze haul.

Vietnam sent a strong message with its second-ranked overall 98-85-105 tally in 2019 that it intends to also dominate the Games it is hosting only for the second time since 2003.

The POC, Tolentino said, will release the composition of Team Philippines this week.

"Preparations by our athletes are peaking and the national sports associations, just like the POC, are focused at keeping the country's strong position in the Games," he said.

Tolentino however deferred predicting the country's potential haul in Vietnam.

The Philippines fielded 1,115 athletes in 2019, a privilege for being host, with Thailand sending the second-biggest delegation with 980, followed by Vietnam with 856 and Indonesia with 837.

Team Philippines will leave in batches for Vietnam with the main bulk expected to fly to Hanoi on May 10.