The third day of the women’s golf tournament at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was marred by controversy after Filipina golfer Dottie Ardina posted a video on social media highlighting her and and Bianca Pagdanganan’s struggle with inadequate team uniforms.
In the video, Ardina expressed frustration over the situation, using double-sided tape to affix a Philippine flag patch to her shirt.
“Third day. Dikit na natin ‘to. Double-sided tape, ang saya-saya! Every day is another day,” she commented.
She further voiced her discontent, saying, “Ano na? Ang hirap na. Sana all, may uniform. Kami lang ang wala. Kailangan pa naming bumili ng t-shirt. Jusko, ano ba namang klaseng Olympics ‘to.”
The Philippines was the only team without a proper uniform at the tournament, which sparked concern and criticism among Filipinos. The National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) later addressed the issue in a statement.
According to NGAP, adidas, the official apparel sponsor of the Philippine delegation, had initially sent a set of uniforms for approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) before the competition started.
However, the apparel was disapproved, necessitating an immediate change.
A new set of uniforms was dispatched to Paris a week before the Olympics, but French customs held the package, and despite efforts from officials, it was not released in time.
To address the situation, additional sets of competition gear were produced locally in Paris.
During the practice rounds, Pagdanganan wore the Adidas apparel, while Ardina wore the competition uniform during the first round.
For the succeeding rounds, both athletes opted to wear their personal attire, managing to improvise by sporting the Philippine flag.
Ardina also revealed in her video that she and Pagdanganan had been reusing the same patch throughout the tournament and were compelled to cover the logos on their clubs.
“Shout out naman diyan sa mga walang nagbigay. Nasaan na ba yung mga uniform namin? Saan na napunta? Da-dalawa na lang kami dito, 22 na atleta, kulang-kulang pa,” Ardina lamented.
“Nakakahiya. Sobrang daming tao, kami lang ang walang uniform. Tuklap-tuklap pa ‘tong [patch na] ‘to.”
NGAP’s statement clarified that the issue was purely logistical and not related to corruption.
“We have done our very best to give all our athletes everything they need to be at their best for the Olympics but there are certain things that are beyond our control. The campaign of the Philippines has been a resounding success for Paris 2024, which only shows the hard work that the entire delegation put in,” the statement concluded.
“The situation that our golfers are in, although regrettable, is also an isolated case. The Paris delegation officials and NGAP officials will always cater to the best of our athletes.”
