OTHER athletes who qualify for the Olympics can also expect P500,000 in incentives from his office, Sen. Bong Go, the Senate Sports Committee chairman, assured.
Go made the assurance after distributing bonuses to some of the national athletes headed for the Paris Olympics last week at the Philippine Sports Commission conference room at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Of course, if other athletes qualify for the Paris Olympics, they will also get P500,000,” said the Davao City senator, an avid sports enthusiast.
Among those who received incentives were weightlifters Elreen Ann Ando, Vanessa Sarno and Jose Fabuar Ceniza; boxers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and Eumir Felix Marcial, who is training in the US but was represented in the affair.
Also receiving bonuses were gymnasts Carlos Edriel Yulo, who personally took his check; Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung Ruivivar, whose checks were received by gymnastics deputy secretary general Rowena Eusuya.
“Malaking hirap ang dinaanan ng ating mga atleta upang makapagbigay sila ng karangalan sa Paris. Maliit na bagay itong mga incentives kung tutuusin sa hirap at sakripisyo na kanilang dinanas,” Go noted.
“Kami ay nagpapasalamat kay Sen. Go sa pagbigay nitong mga incentive sa amin. Sisikapin namin na masuklian ito sa aming laban sa Paris Olympics,” Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Petecio said on behalf of the group.
Counting pro golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina, who formally qualified last Monday, there are now a total of 20 athletes bound for Paris, or a total of P10 million that Go will have to dole out.
Go also announced that the bill institutionalizing the Philippine National Games, of which he is the principal author, is progressing in the Senate.
“Hopefully, we expect the bill to pass soon because the Philippine National Games is important in discovering a new generation of athletes for international play,” he said.
