The country’s top sports leaders are one in sustaining the same template that made possible the Philippines’ best-ever showing yet in an Olympic campaign.
Both Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino agree that as early as now there should already be a conscious effort to maintain, more so to expand the same model that produced for the country its first-ever gold medal in the Olympiad courtesy of the great weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
Finances combined with scientific training are two aspects the POC and PSC leadership are trying to focus on in a bid to endure the gains of Tokyo onwards to Paris in 2024.
Aside from Diaz’s historic gold, the Filipinos also brought home two silver medals behind the heroics of boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and a bronze medal by another pug in Eumir Marcial to clinch the best performance by the Philippines in the quadrennial showpiece, surpassing its three bronze output during the 1932 LA Olympics.
“We have to be serious if we would like to sustain the momentum.
“Hindi lang pera ang kailangan, but as a sports educator who has travelled in other parts of the world, it is really extremely important that we will provide cutting edge sports sciences which we dreamed of here in the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI). Hindi kasi siya genuine, hindi siya real. Maraming kulang,” said Ramirez joined by Tolentino, Diaz, Petecio, Paalam, and Marcial in a special virtual session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.
By cutting edge sports sciences, Ramirez meant athletes undergoing performance science, physiological tests, metabolic efficiency, and other programs which countries like China, U.S, Russia, and those from Europe regularly undergo especially when competing in big international tournaments.
Diaz and Co., did some of them prior to the Tokyo Games, but Ramirez said they’re not enough.
“Sa akin hindi lang pera ang kailangan.
“The government, lessening from the success of the Tokyo Games, must put up this cutting edge sports science or putting science in our own training, kasi kung wala yan, mahirap i-achieve yung goal sa Paris, sa LA (1928), sa Brisbane (1932),” said the PSC chief.
Tolentino agreed with his counterpart in the PSC, relating an experience in Tokyo where he visited one university that boasts of a complete sports science and medicine facility.
The POC president admitted the government can’t do it alone, and the help of the private sector and the assistance of one NOC (National Olympic Committee) to another are imperative to achieve the goal.
He added after a brief rest, the country’s Olympic body will start discussing a similar program with its counterpart from Qatar through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
“Meron kaming naka-pending with the Qatar NOC na doon papadala yung ibang atleta for training na andun lahat yung sports medicine and sports facilities na high-tech. It’s all free, parang exchange student, exchange athlete yun,” said Tolentino in the forum powered by Smart, has Upstream Media as official webcast partner, and presented by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PACGOR).
In view of this, Ramirez said the PSC is planning to talk to Tolentino and the POC about sustaining the 19-man Philippine team in the Tokyo Olympics to Paris three years from now, with ‘more impetus of support,’ while adding other athletes who will be able to qualify.
