THE cash bonus for a gold medal winner will breach P3 million in total and world No. 2 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and Olympic skateboarder Margilyn Didal are the country’s flag-bearers in the 19th Asian Games that start with the opening ceremony this Saturday.
Medalist athletes in the Asian Games are bound to receive monetary incentives of P2 million, P1 million and P400,000 for gold, silver and bronze medals through the PSC as mandated by Republic Act No. 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.
“I hope this will motivate our national athletes to work even harder and perform better in the Asian Games,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino of his announcement of an extra P1 million cash bonus from the POC for each gold medal won in Hangzhou.
Tolentino joined Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann in the send-off ceremony for the country’s athletes to the Asian Games and Asian Para Games that Hangzhou is hosting one after the other.
“I believe our athletes will deliver,” Tolentino told the more than 300 athletes, para athletes, coaches and sports officials in the send-off graced by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Medalist athletes in the Asian Games are bound to receive monetary incentives of P2 million, P1 million and P400,000 for gold, silver and bronze medals through the PSC as mandated by Republic Act No. 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.
Tolentino said the POC will later decide on the availability of funds for silver and bronze medalists.
Bachmann, on the other hand, vowed PSC’s full support for the Asian Games campaign.
“We, the PSC, saw how our athletes trained, and we’re hoping they win medals and do better this Asian Games,” Bachmann said. “The POC and the PSC are continuing to support our athletes all the time together.”
Bachmann added: “We are there to give 110 percent to our athletes. We make sure they have everything…the PSC will have its own machines, physical therapist room, medicines, masseurs and doctors with cars that can go around for all athletes in Asian Games.”
Tolentino also announced the appointment of Obiena, who clinched silver behind Swede star Armand Duplantis in the Diamond League final in Oregon, and Didal, gold medalist in the Indonesia 2018 Asian Games, as the flag bearers in the traditional parade of athletes during the opening ceremony.
Hangzhou organizers set two flag bearers for each member country of the Asian Games, according to Tolentino.
Tolentino said the modest target in Hangzhou is to bring home more than the four gold medals won in Indonesia behind Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo in weightlifting, Didal, former Filipino Yuka Saso and teammates Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go in golf.
The other objective, Tolentino said, is for Filipino athletes to secure berths to next year’s Paris Olympics.
Go, meanwhile, reiterated his support to the Asian Games campaign that secured an additional P50 million and the Para Gams P30 million more.
“I pushed for the additional P1 billion budget for the PSC in support to our national athletes and I am hoping to do the same next year,” Go said. “With the partnership of the government, private sector, PSC and POC and national sports associations, everything will be achievable in sports.”
Also in the sendoff organized by the PSC were PSC commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Fritz Gaston, Walter Torres and Edward Hayco and Philippine Paralympic Committee President Michael Barredo.
The Philippines has 396 athletes competing in 40 sports in the Asian Games. The 12th Asian Para Games, meanwhile, are set October 22 to 28.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes
