TEAM PH HANDA NA SA CAMBODIA SEAG

SUPORTADO mismo ni Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., kasama ang top sports officials ng bansa, ang 840-man Philippine delegation ay nagpahayag ng matinding kumpiyansa at kahandaan sa 32nd Southeast Asian Games sa Phnom Penh, Cambodia na idaraos 10 araw magmula ngayon.

“Handang-handa na ako for the gold medal!” pahayag ni 2021 SEA Games bronze medalist at Philippine Vovinam team member Emmanuel Cantores.

“Salamat sa mga sports officials natin kasama si President Bongbong Marcos na nagpakita ng suporta sa aming mga atleta, kaya ganadong-ganado akong lumaban para sa bayan!”

Ang kasigasigan na naramdaman ng mga atletang Pinoy ay nag-uumapaw.

“Napakasaya pong pakinggan na ang ating Presidente ay very supportive po sa aming mga atletang Pilipino. Isa po iyon sa mga motivations po namin sa team,” sabi ni two-time SEA Games gold medalist Phillip Delarmino, na magtatangka sa isa pang gold medal sa Kun Bokator event sa Cambodia.

“Ang goal lagi is to aim for the gold and for the best. Hopefully, this is the year that we can bring that gold. Good luck sa ating lahat. Gawin natin ang best natin at lahat ng ating makakaya. Laban Pilipinas!” wika ni national karateka Ricca Torres, na determinadong mahigitan ang dalawang bronze performance sa mga naunang edisyon ng SEAG.

Sa kanyang mensahe, hinangad ni Marcos ang tagumpay ng Philippine contingent sa send-off ­ceremony na idinaos sa Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) sa Pasay City nitong Lunes, April 24.

“One of the greatest pleasures I have found, being the leader, is to be able to give honor and to recognize, hopefully to inspire, and to provide support to our athletes, who are in fact our ambassadors in sport and play a very, very important part beyond just their participation in such important sporting events,” anang Pangulo sa kanyang talumpati.

“If there is anything more that this government can do, that this administration can do, that I personally can do, please make sure to tell me because we are all rooting for you. And we all want to do everything that we can do to make you as successful as you possibly can in your chosen events,” dagdag ni Marcos.

Nagpahayag ng pasasalamat si PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann kay Presidente Marcos sa malaking suporta nito sa mga atletang Pinoy.

“It’s always good that the President and the country support our athletes. That’s a good morale booster and hopefully we all do well compared to last year. We’re all praying for that,” ayon kay Bachmann na nasa kanyang unang major international games bilang PSC chief.

“The PSC is behind all our national athletes. All the commissioners and myself will be there to watch all the games,” pagtitiyak ni Bachmann.

Ang Team Philippines ay sasabak sa 38 sports sa May 5-17 biennial games.

CLYDE MARIANO