Cojuangco: Let's hope for the best

MANILA, Philippines - Even Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco couldn’t point to any particular athlete that can pull it off and win a medal for the country in the coming London Olympics.

“It’s really hard to predict,” said Cojuangco yesterday, echoing the statement made by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia a few days ago that he can only “hope for the best.”

“You don’t know what kind of opposition you are facing. But I expect our athletes to do their best. They seem animated and I hope that’s encouraging,” said the POC chief.

The Olympics, regarded as the greatest show on earth, brings out the best athletes from all over the world, and the standard is so high just being there is already an achievement.

But Cojuangco said it shouldn’t be a surprise if anyone among the 11 Filipino athletes vying in the July 27 to Aug. 12 Summer Games deliver a medal.

“Let’s hope for the best,” said Cojuangco.

“Bilog ang target,” said archer Rachel Cabral dela Cruz, who was scheduled to leave for London yesterday together with fellow archer and two-time Olympian Mark Javier.

BMX rider Daniel Caluag is also set to fly to London from the United States as well as judoka Tomohiko Hoshina who is based in Japan.

The rest of the Filipino athletes are already in London: Marestella Torres and Rene Herrera of athletics; Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie King Lacuna of swimming; Mark Anthony Barriga of boxing; Brian Rosario of shooting; and Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting.

“We’ve given them all the support. And they are all performing above their personal bests. Brian Rosario has been shooting medal scores and it’s very encouraging,” said Garcia.

“I think our shooter is hitting the peak of his career. He has a very good outlook. Maybe this group can pull off some surprises for us,” the PSC chairman added.

It’s been a long while since the Philippines won a medal in the Olympics, not since lightflyweight Mansueto Velasco brought home the silver from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Javier said if there’s any pressure on this group to end the medal drought for the Philippines in the Olympics he’s not putting it in his mind.

“The more you think of it the more you feel the pressure,” said Javier, who just came off a seven-week course in South Korea, which produces the world’s best archers.