THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will convince the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow athletes who have qualified or are still trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics to return to group training.
The PSC board of commissioners initiated a virtual meeting with POC President Rep. Abraham Tolentino and his Secretary-General Atty. Ed Gastanes on Tuesday where they discussed plans for the resumption of training of the Olympic-bound athletes.
Both PSC and POC officials agreed that given the present situation, it would be best to focus on the country’s Olympic bid over other concerns.
“We initiated the meeting with the POC with the national athletes’ welfare in mind,” PSC OIC, Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, said. “That’s the priority as our chairman, [William] Butch Ramirez, always reminds everyone.”
“Covid-19 notwithstanding, we must never lose sight of our goal to give our best for our first Olympic gold,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said the PSC and POC recommendations will be immediately sent to the IATF. “But we can only recommend, they [IATF] have the final say,” he said.
The PSC board identified facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) in Manila and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City as training venues for the Olympic hopefuls. The specific facilities are the Fencing Hall, Multi-purpose Center, Strength and Conditioning Building and Dormitory Training Hall at the PhilSports and the taekwondo and boxing gyms at the RMSC.
PSC National Training Director Marc Velasco said the facilities will undergo intensive disinfection. Both the RMSC and the PhilSports served as “We heal as One” quarantine centers early in the pandemic.
Fernandez added that they the private sector and local government units with low to nil virus cases could also “adopt” the Olympic hopefuls.
The PSC will next meet with Tokyo Olympics Chef de Mission Nonong Araneta to discuss the POC’s Olympic campaign projection.
Boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo are already qualified for the postponed Tokyo Olympics.
Also hoping to qualify are Rio de Janeiro 2016 weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz and women’s world boxing champion Nesthy Petecio are among those with strong chances of qualifying for Tokyo.