Asian Para Games medalists to get PSC incentives

MANILA, Philippines - Just like their counterparts from the regular Asian Games, medalists from the recent second Asian Para Games in Incheon, Korea stand to get incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for their feats.

However, the differently-abled medalists won’t get the same amount as the Asiad achievers are entitled to as the APG is not among the international competitions that Republic Act 9064 or the Sports Incentives law allocates bonuses to.

“We’ve been giving incentives (to medalists in the Para Games) but from PSC funds, and not from 9064. We’ll give them what we’ve given them in the past. They can’t expect it (incentives) to be at the same level as the Asian Games,” PSC chairman Richie Garcia said.

Based on the PSC’s windfall in the last APG in Guangzhou, a gold medalist earns worth P25,000, a silver P15,000 and a bronze P10,000.

In contrast, a gold in the Asiad nets P1 million, silver P500,000 and bronze P100,000.

Garcia said they plan to award the incentives on Nov. 7 at PhilSports when the sports community gather for its regular First Friday Mass and a send off for the Phl delegation to the Asian Beach Games.

“We’d like to fast-track the (processing of) incentives with Pagcor so we can release them on Nov. 7,” said the PSC chair.

Team Philippines won five silver medals and the same number of bronzes in the Incheon Asian Para Games. Powerlifters Adeline Ancheta and Acheli Guion, wheel chair dance sport bets Julius Obero and Rochelle Canoy, bowlers Samuel Matias and Ian Kim Chi and discus thrower Marites Burce accounted for the second place finishes. Swimmer Ernie Gawilan struck for three bronzes as table tennis ace Josephine Medina and cyclist Arthus Bucay delievered the other two.