Nikko gains nod of fellow national athletes

MANILA, Philippines — Triathlon’s Nikko Huelgas will continue to carry the fight for national athletes seeking full enforcement of Republic Act 10699, or the Expanded Athletes and Coaches Incentives Act, giving members of the national pool not just monetary incentives but also discounts on goods, medicine and services.

Huelgas, 28, received his second four-year mandate with the Athletes Commission after winning one of the five slots to the board in an election done over the weekend. He has served as chairman of the same group the last four years.

The two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist received the second highest number of votes with 71, behind softball’s Francesca Altamonte, the commission’s vice chair, while swimmer Jessie Lacuna, rugby’s Jake Letts and taekwondo’s Samuel Morrison received 69, 60 and 57 votes, respectively, to take the other three slots.

Felix Eumir Marcial, a World Boxing Championship silver medalist, had 49 votes while Olympic weightlifting silver medal winner Hidilyn Diaz ended up seventh and dead last with 40 votes.

The five winners will then vote and decide among themselves the two – one male and one female – who will sit in the Philippine Olympic Committee Board with voting rights in the General Assembly.

And it could probably be Huelgas again for being vocal and active in campaigning for the total implementation of athletes’ discounts as mandated by law.

Under RA 10699, national athletes and coaches are entitled to a 20-percent discount on transportation, hotels, restaurants, recreation centers, medicines, sports equipment as well as other services apart from free medical check up in all government-owned hospitals and clinics.

“There are still establishments who are not even aware of the law,” said Huelgas.