THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) earmarked P46 million to bolster the country’s gold-medal drive in the Tokyo Olympics.
The PSC Board of Commissioners approved the funding during its regular board meeting on Tuesday.
“The sports agency is happy to accept and approve the Philippine Olympic Committee’s [POC] request,” PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez said. “This reiterates the PSC’s commitment to support the national team’s effort to bring the best contingent possible to the Tokyo Olympics 2020+1 edition.”
The funding will cover the airfare, accommodation, meals and allowances of athletes and officials as well as the Covid-19 tests prior to departure, hotel quarantine expenses and insurance for Covid-19 treatment and travel and repatriation of the entire Philippine delegation.
The POC’s proposal didn’t include the production cost for flags, flaglets and pins, luggages and parade uniforms should there be an opening and closing parade.
The financial assistance is still subject to adjustments based on the actual participation of Filipino athletes, coaches and officials in Tokyo and to government accounting and auditing rules.
Nine Filipino athletes have so far officially qualified for the Olympics. They are pole vaulter EJ Obiena, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, gymnast Carlos Yulo, taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa, rower Cris Nievarez and boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Irish Magno and Eumir Marcial,.
US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso and fellow golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan as well as skateboarder Margielyn Didal are virtually assured of berths to Tokyo, but the official announcement of their qualification will be announced later this month.
The Olympics are set from July 23 to August 8.