Guangzhou Asian Games: PSC to give RP bets full support

MANILA, Philippines - Determined to meet its 10-gold medal expectation in the Guangzhou Asian Games this November, the Philippine Sports Commission has vowed to give the country’s top athletes the proper nutrition and the best training possible.

PSC chairman Harry Angping has set a meeting with all coaches, athletes and national sports association officials to talk about proper nutrition needed by the national athletes bound for the quadrennial games.

The event, to be facilitated by Philippine Center for Sports Medicine chief Dr. Alejandro Pineda and some of the PSC doctors, trainers and physical therapists, is set on April 17 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium where everyone will be briefed on the importance of proper diet and the physiological aspect for athletes competing against the best in the region.

“Winning gold medals is not all physical and giving athletes proper training and international exposures, it also involves mental and even the physiological aspects of preparation,” Angping said.

Angping said he hopes to start the program on the elite athletes numbering 20-30.

“We’ll start with the elite athletes. We need to give them the proper nutrition depending on their sport and needs. If we have to bring the food to them in their training areas, we’ll do that just to make this happen,” he said.

The PSC is allotting P400/day for each athlete’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The PSC is expected to spend P360,000 a month, outside the P20,000 monthly stipend the classified “elite athletes” would be receiving.

“We’re gambling on this because this is the first time the PSC is doing this to our athletes,” Angping said.

The Guangzhou-bound athletes classified as elite by the PSC are chess’ Wesley So and Joey Antonio, tankers Miguel Molina and Daniel Coakley, netters Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey, long jumper Marestella Torres, bowler Biboy Ramirez, cue artist Rubilen Amit and taekwondo’s Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero among others.

Angping earlier predicted a 10-gold haul through boxing, dragon boat, taekwondo, billiards, chess and track and field.