The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is one with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in pushing through with the Tokyo Olympics.
POC President Bambol Tolentino believes that the Summer Games could take place successfully amidst calls to cancel the July 23 to August 8 event due to concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“With POC as a member of the IOC, iisa ang direksiyon namin ng IOC na dapat matuloy. Kaya namang ituloy, “ the long-time politician told the recent Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum webcast.
The Olympics are less than a few months away, but the Japanese public strongly opposes its staging. Rising COVID-19 cases have placed some areas in the country under a state of emergency.
A survey by Asahi Shimbun revealed that 83-percent of voters said that the meet should be postponed or scrapped.
And just recently, the Japanese newspaper — which is actually among the Tokyo Games’ sponsors — has joined the call to cancel the event.
Still, the IOC had insisted that it is “moving fully ahead” with the Olympics. They also declared that their playbooks will keep athletes and the public safe.
“With all the COVID countermeasures, kaya namang ituloy,” said Tolentino in the weekly session powered by SMART and presented by San Miguel Corp., MILO, Amelie Hotel, Braska Restaurant, and PAGCOR.
Meanwhile, Tolentino himself would want the Olympics to go on. This might be the country’s chance to finally strike gold in the most prestigious sporting event.
The country has nine bets in the Games so far, namely weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz; boxers Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, and Irish Magno; pole-vaulter EJ Obiena; gymnast Caloy Yulo, rower Carl Nievarez, and jin Kurt Barbosa.
“Sayang naman ‘yung chance natin. Baka ito ‘yung chance natin after 100 years na first gold, ‘di ba,” he said.
“Sayang naman kung hindi matutuloy.”
