PhilSports training delayed

MANILA, Philippines — A plan to transform the PhilSports complex in Pasig into a training hub for Olympic hopefuls recently hit a snag when heavy rains caused leaks in several facilities and clogged drainage systems. PSC chief of staff and Philippine Sports Institute national training director Marc Velasco said yesterday repairs are in order but the proposed training center won’t be ready until December or January.

Initially, the plan was to welcome some 50 to 60 athletes identified as either Olympic qualifiers or hopefuls to PhilSports next week. PSC had consulted various NSAs on Olympic possibilities and came up with a pool of roughly 80 athletes who could make it to Tokyo next year. About 20 of the 80 are training abroad, including Olympic qualifiers Caloy Yulo of gymnastics in Tokyo and E. J. Obiena of athletics in Formia, Italy. Two other qualifiers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno of boxing are in the country. Marcial, however, may leave to train in the US soon.

Velasco said PhilSports should be ready for the athletes by December but with the holidays around the corner, the opening may be pushed to January next year. “No problem with athletics and swimming because their athletes are training abroad,” he said. “The other NSAs are looking for their preferred training centers and we’re monitoring the sites to make sure protocols conform to IATF guidelines. Health, wellness and safety of our athletes are our priorities. We’re talking to taekwondo, boxing, karate and others and it looks like they’re thinking of training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba. The Inspire facilities are very impressive.”

Inspire is described as “the first world-class learning and sporting institution in the Philippines that features 360-degree sports science and educational support for athletes” with 60 rooms and 176 beds. Located within the NU campus in Calamba, it was where PBA team TNT recently set up a two-week training camp for individual workouts in limited numbers and where the Chooks To Go 3x3 season will open hostilities early next month.

The sports in PSC’s list with potential to qualify athletes to the Olympics are archery, athletics, aquatics (swimming), cycling, golf, gymnastics, judo, triathlon, weightlifting, boxing, canoe/kayak, karate, fencing, rowing, skateboard, table tennis, taekwondo and wrestling. Rep. Eric Martinez (2nd district, Valenzuela) has estimated a budget of P150-180 million for Olympic-bound Filipino athletes to cover expenses, including training and the House Committee on Youth and Sports chairman said he’s optimistic of the country’s chances to capture its first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with Yulo, Obiena, Margie Didal of skateboard, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and Marcial among the prospects for a podium finish.