PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said that all Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes, including gymnast Carlos Yulo, must be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Tolentino told BusinessMirror after the POC General Assembly at the East Ocean Seafoods Restaurant in Parañaque City on Friday that Gymnastics Association of the Philippines President Cynthia Carrion-Norton was already advised of the need to inoculate Yulo.
“Caloy [Yulo] and his Japanese coach, [Munehiro Kugimiya] will be vaccinated,” Tolentino said. “We cannot allow our athletes not to go to Tokyo without getting vaccinated.”
“Imagine while you’re in the middle of the competition and you tested positive? You just cannot compete,” Tolentino said.
Carrion-Norton earlier said that Yulo won’t get vaccinated for fear of possible side effects that could hamper his performance. But she agreed on Tolentino’s concern on Tuesday.
“I changed my mind because it’s really hard to gamble, but he should be vaccinated now. We are now cooperating with Japan gymnastics official Morinari Watanabe. It’s going to be Pfizer for Caloy [Yulo],” Carrion-Norton said.
Tolentino also wrote the Malaysian government on the second dose of vaccine that weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and her trainers Julius Naranjo and Chinese coach Kaiwen Gao need to complete.
Tolentino said coordination with Thailand officials are also underway for boxers Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam who are holding a training camp in the country.
Tolentino also reaffirmed the vaccination of 870 athletes and coaches from national sports associations who are not in the Vietnam SEA Games program.
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