TOKYO OLYMPICS: KONGRESO NANGAKO NG SUPORTA

NANGAKO ng suporta ang mga miyembro ng Committee on Youth and Sports Development nang humiling ang Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) ng tulong para sa Tokyo 2021 budget mula sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso sa committee regular meeting noong Miyerkoles.

Sa committee meeting na pinamunuan ni Committee Head Representative Eric Martinez, inihayag ni PSC Chairman William Ramirez ang pangangailangan na maibalik sa sports agency ang tinapyas na pondo nito upang maipagpatuloy ang pagsuporta sa pagsasanay at paglahok ng Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers at hopefuls.

“We were one of those government offices who also contributed to the Bayanihan Act. The DBM (Department of Budget and Management) deducted from us. Para sa amin malaking bagay ‘yun kasi kasama doon ‘yung Olympic budget namin. Hanggang ngayon po bakante ‘yan. It’s an opportunity for us to ask, we need your help,” wika ni Ramirez.

Makaraang ilatag ni Chef de Mission Mariano Araneta  sa PSC ang Olympic budget request na mahigit sa P182 million para sa Tokyo-bound athletes at hopefuls, binigyang-diin ng sports agency chief ang suportang maaaring ibigay ng Kongreso sa Olympic dream ng bansa

“Rep. Bambol Tolentino has initially supported yung P 180 Million na allowances ng atleta which was approved by the bicam, and to be approved by the President. Thank you sa lahat ng congressman na sumuporta. Pero ‘yung Olympic budget namin, we are hoping again for your support,” sabi ni Ramirez.

“The Philippine Sports Commission is operating on the savings coming from PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) and that when we talk about the elite athletes of the national team, the budget being used is the NSDF (National Sports Development Fund) prompting PSC to lessen grassroots sports program related to local government units,” sabi pa ni Ramirez sa komite.

“Dito kami naka-focus sa elite athletes. We still have some budget just enough for us to reach December,” pag-aamin ni Ramirez  sa kanyang tugon sa katanungan ni Committee Vice-Chair Jericho Nograles hinggil sa pondo ng PSC.

Ang budget ng PSC ay binawasan ng DBM ng P596 million mula sa National Sports Development Fund at  P773 million mula sa General Appropriations Act upang makatulong sa COVID-19 national health crisis.

“Rest assured that we will do our part to get the funding for this Olympics. All hands are in. Dapat lahat tayo dito. This is the best chance we have,” tugon ni House Youth and Sports Development Head Rep. Martinez at idinagdag na tatalakayin nila ito sa DBM sa lalong madaling panahon dahil kailangan ng mga atleta ang budget na ito para sa Olympics.

Sa parehong miting ay nagbigay rin ng update si CDM Araneta sa pakikipagtulungan sa PSC para makabalik sa pagsasanay ang top bets at national athletes na naghahangad ng Tokyo berths.

“Right now 21 athletes are training abroad, and 65 athletes training here in the Philippines so that’s a total of 86 athletes and four have already qualified so we’re saying that there are still 82 athletes that are training to qualify for the Olympics. At the moment, for those who are in the Philippines we are just waiting for PSC to submit to IATF the training protocols that include the venues and the health protocols that the sports associations have submitted,” ani Araneta. CLYDE MARIANO