PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Butch Ramirez has asked the Inter-Agency Task Force in charge of the COVID-19 pandemic to give back control of the sports complexes and facilities to the agency by April 1 so more national athletes and coaches can resume actual training.
The request was contained in a letter sent by Ramirez to National Task Force chief Carlito Galvez last week, according to Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the national team chief of mission for the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games.
Fernandez yesterday said Ramirez shared the sense of urgency of Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Bambol Tolentino that national athletes gearing for the Vietnam SEA Games need to get back to the gym as soon as possible.
Both administered by the PSC, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Philsports Complex in Pasig City have been converted into COVID-19 quarantine facilities by the IATF at the height of the contagion.
Fernandez bared the PSC’s request after he met with IATF co-chairman Vince Dizon, the Bases Conversion Development Authority president, last Tuesday oer the use of facilities at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
The NCC is a BCDA-owned property and the Athletes Village used for the 30th Southeast Asian Games within it was also utilized by government authorities as quarantine area.
“Dizon told us that they could have the NCC ready by April 15 and we are thinking to use it for our track and field, swimming and triathlon athletes,” Fernandez said, adding they were also eyeing the PSC’s training center in Baguio to the list of available venues for the training bubble.
At present, only locally-based Olympic qualifiers and aspirants in boxing, karate and taekwondo have gone back to actual workouts at the PSC-funded training bubble at the Inspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
