RP bets get P3.1 million for Asiad buildup

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission has started releasing the allowances of the national athletes who made the grade for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games this November.

The government sports funding agency has actually released P3,185,000 covering the allowances of at least 267 Filipino athletes who are gearing up for the quadrennial meet where the country hopes to match, if not surpass, its four-gold haul in Doha, Qatar in 2006.

Tankers Miguel Molina and Daniel Coakley, taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero, long jumper Marestella Torres, chesser Wesley So and bowler Biboy Rivera head the list of elite athletes picked for the quadrennial meet, according to PSC chair Harry Angping.

Angping said these athletes, numbering 16, will receive P20,000 a month and will be given periodic international exposures.

Billiards’ Rubilen Amit, chess’ Joey Antonio and Darwin Laylo, karatedo’s Marna Pabillore and poomsae’s Camille Alarilla, Janice Lagman and Rani Ann Ortega are the other members of the elite group.

Cecil Mamiit and Treat Conrad Huey of tennis have decided not to avail themselves of their monthly allowances in favor of receiving funds for some tournaments they are planning to participate abroad.

“If we continue to keep training hard and provide our athletes what they need, we’ll have a strong chance of snaring 10 gold medals in Guangzhou,” said Angping.

The PSC is looking to add some more athletes to the elite roster as it has started negotiations with officials of boxing and men’s basketball team.

Most of the remaining athletes in the training pool will get a monthly stipend worth P15,000 while some will get allowance ranging from P5,000 to P10,000.

The athletes who belong in the P15,000 group are archery (1), track and field (6), bowling (4), chess (2), dance sports (6), diving (5), judo (4), karatedo (2), dragon boat (30), triathlon (3), weightlifting (2), windsurfing (3), wrestling (4), rowing (5), sailing (7), shooting (8), soft tennis (9), swimming (4), taekwondo (10) and lawn tennis (2).