Hero’s welcome for Yulo’s coach

CEBU, Philippines — Hero’s welcome awaits the Cebuano coach of Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) yesterday vowed to further boost funding for Philippine sports following Yulo’s double gold finish in Paris.

Darlene Castan?eda-Dela Pisa, sister of Yulo’s Olympic coach Allen Aldrin Castan?eda, said she hopes that his (Castan?eda) Cebu City homecoming would also be a time for the city to re-opens its doors to them, after they were allegedly barred from using the city’s training center in Brgy. Labangon.

After Carlos Yulo’s historic feat in the ongoing Olympics, Castan?eda was also given some recognition for being the one on Yulo’s side as coach in Paris.

Although much of the credit in training Yulo should go to Japanese coach Munehiro “Mune” Kugimiya, who molded the young Filipino to be a world-class athlete, it was when Castan?eda was the coach when Yulo made Olympic history for the country in winning not just one but two gold medals in the Olympics.

Unknown to many, though, Castan?eda already handled Yulo back in his junior division days, which paved the way for a scholarship/training in Japan under coach Mune.

When coach Mune and Yulo parted ways for some reasons, Yulo was without a coach until Gymnastics Association of the Philippines Head Cynthia Carrion named Castan?eda to serve as his coach leading to the Olympics, where Yulo won gold in the vault and the floor exercises.

And because of this feat, Castan?eda will return to Cebu City with a hero’s welcome.

“The wind beneath his (Yulo) wings usa ka Sugbuanon, taga-Brgy. Hipodromo (in Cebu City). Si Coach Aldrin. Congratulations nimo coach! You are a proud Cebuano. Mabuhi ka!” said Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, through the City Government’s News & Information Facebook page.

“We will welcome you when you come back here. Bisita gyud. We will give you a hero’s welcome when you come back here in the city of Cebu, ilabi na gyud sa City Hall,” the acting mayor said.

Hipodromo Brgy. Captain Ruperto Bacolod, in the same report, also said they are preparing for his return home.

“Nangandam na mi sa pagbalik sa among barangay ni coach Aldrin. Among dakong garbo,” he said, adding that they would be putting up congratulatory tarpaulins.

Castan?eda-Dela Pisa, a gymnastics coach herself, however, said they are still unsure as to when their brother would come for a visit since he is already based in Manila to train the national team members.

She also revealed that for a long time now, she and their youngest sibling Miles, a gymnastics coach also, had been allegedly barred from using the city’s training center in Labangon due to personal issues with a sports official.

Castan?eda-Dela Pisa, the mother of Daniela Dela Pisa, the country’s first Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in rhythmic gymnastics, said that even her daughter was also not allowed to train in the training center.

The conflict, Castan?eda-Dela Pisa alleged, have also caused headaches to parents of aspiring gymnasts training under the Castaneda family members.

When asked to comment about the issue, Cebu City Sports Commission chairman John Pages declined, saying he would attend to the matter once he returns to Cebu City as he is currently in Paris to watch the games.

The Castan?edas, in their own right, have also honors to Cebu in various competitions, including in the Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games, and the Palarong Pambansa. They had produced national team members from Cebu in the past, but the number has dwindled when they no longer had a proper place to train kids in gymnastics.

Castaneda-Dela Pisa said there are many potential Cebuano gymnasts, only that they lack the proper equipment and training.

Even their mother, the late Regina Castan?eda, a gymnastic official in her time, had been fighting for a gymnastic training center in Cebu City.

Yulo’s latest achievement has stirred interest in the local community about gymnastics, especially after learning that some Cebuano coaches had been part of his journey in the past.

Castan?eda-Dela Pisa said it is an opportune time for the City to give special attention to gymnastics.

For sure, Yulo’s feat got President Marcos’ attention, as he said the government should inspire more athletes to become champions and haul more medals for the country.

In a media interview on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project-Stage 1 (IDRR-CCA 1) in Pampanga yesterday, he said he would discuss with Yulo about government support for sports in the country.

“That is really I think a more significant effort and that’s why I will ask Caloy Yulo kung ano ba talaga sa palagay niya, ano pang pwedeng gawin ng pamahalaan para dumami ang ating medalists,” the president said.

“I think he will continue to [reach] greater heights in sport dahil matagal na siyang world champion. Dapat ‘yung Tokyo (Olympics in 2020) dapat nanalo na siya, nadaga lang. Pero ngayon, nakita natin ang tunay niyang kakayahan. And again, I think he will be the best person to ask what else it is that we can do,” he added.

Asked if the Office of the President will provide a separate reward to Yulo after his outstanding performance, President Marcos replied in the affirmative, saying Yulo “deserves everything that anybody is willing to give him.”

“Dahil may monetary reward na siya kung saan-saan nanggagaling…, pagkanagkita kami, itatanong ko sa kanya kung ano pa ang maitutulong ng pamahalaan para mas dumami ang ating mga medalists sa Olympics,” President Marcos said.

Yulo’s fellow Olympian, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, in a press conference via Zoom yesterday that The Freeman attended, said he is happy to know about the President’s sentiment, saying there are a lot of things that could be done there was not enough time to discuss all of them during the press conference.

“I’m just very happy to hear that the President of the country appreciates sports, and I hope that sports can be utilized in its full capacity and be able to inspire the country,” Obiena said. —/RHM (FREEMAN)