P30 million for Olympic gold

MANILA, Philippines, July 14 ------ A Filipino athlete will have a P30-million reason to win the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics set July 23 to Aug. 8. Rich packages await Filipino podium finishers, with San Miguel Corp. big boss Ramon Ang and the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation (MVPSF) both pledging to match the cash bonuses in the Expanded Athletes Incentives Act.

It’s now a whopping P30 million total for the gold-medal winner, P15 million for silver medalist and P6 million for bronze medalist. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa MVPSF, and I’m officially announcing na nagpapasalamat din ako kay Mr. Ramon Ang of San Miguel na nag-commit na din ng same amount,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino during yesterday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

Tolentino himself promised a house and lot in Tagaytay for a Filipino gold-medal winner. And more is expected to come. “Hopefully marami pa ang darating lalo na pag nai-deliver na yung gold. Baka umabot pa ng P50 million yan, which is equivalent to $1 million (which) the other countries are giving to their gold winners,” said the congressman from Tagaytay.

At the same time, the POC chief announced a possible adjustment in the Philippine cast for the parade during the opening rites on July 23. Pole-vaulter EJ Obiena might be replaced as the country’s male flag-bearer due to scheduling problems, with Tokyo enforcing a new protocol requiring all those attending the opening ceremony to be at the venue eight hours ahead. Obiena is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo from Formia, Italy on the morning of July 23 and might get caught up at the airport due to stringent requirements on all delegates. “Delikado, mahirap sumugal,” said Tolentino.

Possible replacement is either shooter Jayson Valdez or jin Kurt Barbosa, who would fly in along with lifter Elreen Ando and rower Cris Nievarez a week earlier. Nievarez is out of it because his event will start on opening day. Judoka Kiyomi Watanabe is the country’s female flag-bearer.

Source: philstar.com