Lesson from Manila

THE Philippine Olympic Committee guaranteed Tuesday it will support all the national sports associations competing in the 25th Southeast Asian Games that will not be given financial assistance by the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC).

According to a Manila Times report, Olympic body President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. told 25 sports association representatives during a meeting Tuesday that his agency has allocated P50,000 to P60,000 per athlete, which could be availed if the sports commission does not give them support.

“For those sports which will not be supported by the PSC, we will take care of them for this SEA Games,” he said.

“We also encourage all NSAs [sports associations] to look for their respective godfathers because that P50,000 thousand per athlete might not be enough to sustain their expenses in Laos,” said SEA Games Chief of Mission Mario Tanchangco.

The 25 sports associations present in the meeting held at Cojuangco’s resident in Makati city were table tennis, boxing, archery, aquatics, cycling, karate, tennis, football, golf, fin swimming, billiards, judo, athletics, muay thai, pencak silat, sepak takraw, shooting, volleyball, wushu, Petangque, wrestling, weightlifting, tae kwon do and shuttle cock.

Soft tennis will also be played in Laos as a demonstration sport.

Unlike other sports associations, cycling and boxing have their respective godfathers in businessmen Mikee Romero and telecoms titan Manny Pangilinan.

Cojuangco also said sports associations should take the opportunity to prove the projection of Sports commission Chairman Harry Angping that the country could win only 15 to 20 gold medals in the SEA Games.

Go, the president of athletics, explained that swimming, athletics and another sport can easily win 20 gold medals for the country in the biennial meet.