Sports officials want athlete exemptions for Olympic training purposes
MANILA, Philippines — If the COVID-19 situation improves, Tokyo-bound athletes and other Olympic hopefuls may be allowed to resume training at government-owned facilities soon.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission officer-in-charge and commissioner Ramon Fernandez are both pushing for exemptions so as to jumpstart preparations this early for athletes who have already qualified and those with chances of making it to the quadrennial games.
“We’re hoping to start preparations as soon as government allows us. We have to catch up in terms of Olympic training,” said Tolentino, who also heads PhilCycling.
Fernandez, who took over the PSC reign while chairman William “Butch” Ramirez is on temporary leave, said they may start opening the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium and Philsports Arena soon with number of COVID-19 patients going down.
In fact, Fernandez said they might allow Eumir Felix Marcial to start training at the Rizal Memorial Complex in Manila.
“We are hoping and planning to allow Marcial to practice in the boxing gym at Rizal on his own as well as the others who have qualified,” said Fernandez. “We just have to schedule. Of course, at the this point, no sparring yet.”
The optimism may be coming from the fact that COVID-19 patients are either none or dwindling at the makeshift facilities at Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium and Philpsports Arena.
“There are no more patients in Ninoy, ULTRA continuing to accept patients while Rizal is due for disinfection and repair. If there are no patients there, maybe we can start. But we can all hope and pray that it will happen for now,” said Fernandez.
The 19-time champion and four-time MVP of the PBA also said they are looking at fencing, karatedo, fencing, taekwondo as the first sports that may also be allowed to use the PSC venues.
"The best thing to do is to keep them in one place. When we are able to do that, depending on pandemic and protocols, maybe we start allowing them to train by third or fourth quarter of the year," said Fernandez.
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