Philippine coach out of Tokyo Olympics after positive COVID-19 test

TOKYO – A coach of Team Philippines will be sent home following back-and-forth false positive and negative tests for COVID-19, Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino revealed during a mini conference at the CONRAD Tokyo on Thursday.

The daily tests at the Athletes Village on coaches and players, yielded a false positive test on the said coach, prompting his isolation and a confirmatory test, which turned out to be negative. A third test the following day, however, yielded another false positive on the said coach, who is now running a fever.

“While waiting for another confirmatory test, I have ordered our chef de mission Mariano Araneta to separate him from our team. If the next result is negative, we are sending him home. If he tests positive again, he will be brought to a quarantine hospital,” said Tolentino.

Armed with two negative RT-PCR tests, the coach passed the rigid screening at the Narita airport. 

“The coach must have gotten it on the plane or at the airport, during the incubation period kaya hindi lumabas sa tests noong una,” said Tolentino.

“To further mitigate the risks to the Philippine team, we have decided to separate the coach from the delegation," said POC Secretary-General Edwin Gastanes.

Tolentino, however, sees little impact this will bring to Team Philippines here.

“Maybe, to the national sports association involved, apektado sila kasi nawalan sila ng coach, but to the rest of the Team Philippines, I don’t see their morale going down because of this. Everyone is in high spirits and raring to go to battle for the country,” said Tolentino.

It was not immediately known if the persons the coach have been in close contact with, will be isolated, too, although they have yielded negative results for COVID-19 infection.