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World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, who won two gold medals at last year’s Southeast Asian Games, is currently camped out in Tokyo for his Olympic preparations. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
The country’s top sports officials are doing everything they can to seize what is generally considered the country’s best opportunity to end its Olympic gold medal drought.
Immediately following the announcement by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) of a bubble training camp in Laguna province for Olympians and Olympics hopefuls, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said on Wednesday it planned to send qualified athletes to Tokyo early.
“It will be better if our athletes get there early if the budget allows,” said POC President Abraham Tolentino. “They will be able to acclimatize before the Games and get used to their surroundings.”
The Philippines currently has four Olympians for Tokyo, and their credentials speak highly of their chances for a gold medal: world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, middleweight boxer Eumir Marcial, boxer Irish Magno, and pole vaulter EJ Obiena. , who has stood firm. against the world elite of his sport. They are also sure to qualify the silver medalist of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Hidilyn Diaz, and the Asian skateboard champion, Margielyn Didal.
The PSC is sending an advanced team to Tokyo to scout the area for hotels and gyms, among others, before bringing in the athletes six weeks before the Olympics from July 23 to August 8.
“But we must also strictly follow the health and safety protocols required of our athletes,” said Tolentino, president of the country’s cycling federation.
While Obiena, Magno and Marcial are expected to set up camp in Tokyo in the second week of June, Yulo has already settled in Tokyo just after winning two gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games last year.
“Our qualifiers should be there six weeks early to acclimatize and become familiar not only with the weather, but also to adjust to the normal environment at the Olympics,” said PSC President William Ramírez.
In addition to the four Olympic qualifiers, a total of 83 athletes from 19 sports are awaiting their respective qualifying meetings scheduled to begin early next year.
The PSC recently announced that it will open a training bubble for Olympians and aspiring Olympians in the next two weeks at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
The government sports agency will host boxing, taekwondo and karate first, three sports that have great potential to send qualifiers to the Tokyo Summer Games.
“We don’t have the cutting edge technology to prepare our athletes, but the government really supports these athletes a lot,” said Ramírez.
Both Tolentino and Ramírez agreed that next year’s Olympics are the best chance for the Philippine team to take home its first Olympic gold medal. INQ
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