ON the condition that his Olympic build-up is not disrupted, newly-minted Southeast Asian Games double gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo will be allowed to spend the Christmas holidays with his family in Manila by Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya, according to gymnastics association secretary general Bettina Pou.
Yulo, who returned to Tokyo two days after bagging two gold and five silver medals in his debut in the SEA Games men’s artistic gymnastics competitions, will be in the country on Dec. 20 to 27, according to Pou. Last year, he also spent Christmas with his family here.
To ensure that there will be continuity in his preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games in August next year, Pou said Yulo will train at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and use the new apparatuses that were used for the SEA Games.
Yulo is supposed to be the among the recipients of cash incentives to be awarded today by the Philippine Olympic Committee during its general assembly meeting and Christmas party at the Conrad Hotel.
Based on the POC’s revised incentive scheme, Yulo will receive a total of P700,000 in bonuses: P200,000 for each of the gold medals he garnered and another P100,000 apiece for each silver he won.
Pou said that while here, Yulo will be under the supervision of local coach Aldrin Castaneda. Once he returns to Tokyo, he will be joined by national teammate Ace de Leon to train with Kugimiya.
Pou also disclosed that former back-to-back SEA Games men’s floor exercise champion Reyland Capellan, who failed to land a podium finish in the 30th edition of the meet, will focus on coaching.
“With the growing popularity of gymnastics due to the success of Caloy at the World Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany last October, we will need more coaches for those interested in joining the sport,” Pou said.
