“WE’LL win that gold as one.”
This will be the battle cry of the Philippine delegation to the Tokyo Olympic Games kicking off on July 23, according to Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who remained bullish about the country ending its 97-year golden dry spell in the games.
“Gold in Tokyo? Definitely mayroon ‘yan. All our athletes have to do is pray and believe in themselves,” Tolentino said yesterday, 10 days before the COVID-delayed quadrennial sports showcase opens.
“Yes, minimum of one gold, maaaring may silver, maaaring may bronze. There will be a lot of medals,” added the POC chief in the Philippine Sportswriters Association online forum supported by Smart, Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp, San Miguel, Milo, Amelie Hotel and Braska Restaurant.
Among the 19 standard-bearers are two world champions in gymnast Carlos Yulo and boxer Nesthy Petecio; golfer Yuka Saso, the reigning US Women’s Open champion; and seasoned campaigners Ernest John Obiena and Margielyn Arda Didal of pole vault and skateboarding, respectively.
Also in the team are four-time Southeast Asian Games boxing champion and 2019 World championship silver Felix Eumir Marcial and Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidylin Diaz, who are just as capable of achieving a golden breakthrough.
Tolentino singled out boxing “where we will have a fair playing field since the International Olympic Committee is running the tournament,” a sport that has given the Philippines two silver medals courtesy of Anthony Villanueva and Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in the 1964 Tokyo and 1996 Atlanta games, respectively.
He said the advance six-man party led by football chief Mariano Araneta Jr., the national team chief of mission, will leave for the Japanese capital today to set up the secretariat and prepare for the arrival of the other Olympic participants.
“The bulk of the team coming from the country will be leaving on July 18,” said the POC chief, who is scheduled to leave for the Olympics on July 21.
Due to the constantly fluid conditions in Tokyo, Tolentino said they are looking for a replacement for original male flag-bearer Obiena, who is arriving on July 23, hours before the opening ceremonies at the Japan National Stadium.
“We are looking for a reliever for Obiena because he might be held up at the airport.
Araneta has already identified that it takes at least five hours before the Olympic participants could get out of the airport. Baka mabitin,” he said. “So we are looking for a replacement that we will announce either Wednesday or Thursday in the event the athlete doesn’t make it on time.”
The other Philippine flag-bearer is judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.
With the Japanese government extending the state of emergency in Tokyo and neighboring areas throughout the Olympics to stem the spread of COVID-19, Tolentino described the Spartan conditions the athletes and coaches can expect once they arrive in the Land of the Rising Sun.
“Sobrang higpit,” he said of the room-to-venue-and-back routine of the athletes and coaches who will be participating. “You have to stick to your prepared activity plan that was approved by the Tokyo organizers. You cannot mingle with people who have no face masks.
Your food will have to be delivered to your room. Daily tests every day. Medyo malungkot.”
Despite the restrictions, Tolentino said the athletes and coaches remained upbeat and are expected to cope with the situation, particularly those who will be coming from abroad and head directly to Tokyo.
“The anxiety level is manageable. You just have to be more careful than usual. But in spite of that you can see the persistence and perseverance of our athletes. Imagine (like Yulo), you have been staying for two years in Japan. More than two years in Italy (in the case of Obiena),” he noted.
“We have seen what sports has done for us in the last Southeast Asian Games, to our people, the economy in attitude and character,” Tolentino said. “Stay safe. Just pray, believe in yourselves and we’ll win that gold as one.”
