NOW it can be told: Newly-minted Tokyo-bound rower Cris Nievarez would have missed the boat to the 32nd Olympic Games in the Japanese capital in July had not the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee collaborated.
“Hindi po kasi sigurado na mapapadala ‘yong bangka sa singles sculls ko sa Tokyo dahil limitado po ‘yong budget,” Nievarez said yesterday, recalling the uncertainty they faced as they looked forward to competing in the last World Rowing Asia-Oceania Continental qualifiers in the Japanese capital.
Nievarez, a 30th Southeast Asian Games men’s singles sculls gold medalist, said he had been a belated addition to the national squad set see action in the event. The Philippine Rowing Association had initially decided to send only the pairs of Joanie del Gaco and Melcah Jen Caballero and Zuriel Sumintac and Roque Abala Jr. to the competition.
The tandem of Del Gaco and Caballero, who won two of the three gold medals the rowers won in the 30th SEA Games, was tipped to make the grade and end the 21-year absence of Pinoy rowers in the Summer Games since Benjie Tolentino took part in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Nievarez said the initial budget for the trip was barely enough to shoulder the air freight of the boats for the men’s and women’s double lightweight sculls, so adding another boat seemed like a bleak proposition at that time.
“Pero nagtulong po ang Philippine Sports Commission at Philippine Olympic Committee na mapadala ‘yong singles sculls. Ako po ‘yong sumakay, at ‘yon po, ako rin ‘yong nag-qualify,” the youthful and soft-spoken rower from Atimonan, Quezon recalled. “Naniwala po sila hanggang dulo sa atin.”
The two tandems failed to make the cut while Nievarez finished ninth overall in the Tokyo qualifiers at the Sea Forest Waterway overlooking the Tokyo Bay.
