MANILA, 12 July — Calling on kind-hearted OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), the nationals athletes need you.
The joint Asian Games Task Force of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is drumming up support for the Busan Asian Games-bound Filipino athletes.
Among its major programs to boost the participation of the Filipino athletes competing in the Busan Asiad starting Sept. 29 in South Korea is to start groundwork for the establishment of a big support base from abroad.
The support could come in the form of financial as well as morale.
PSC Chairman Eric Buhain has tasked his senior executive assistant, Sean Solis, and Task Force representative Tats Suzara to meet with representatives and leaders of the Filipino community and overseas workers in South Korea, in particular, to drum up support for the national athletes who will be embarking on a mission to improve the country’s one-gold medal performance in 1998 in Bangkok.
“Every cheer that we could muster is very important. Each of our athletes would need not only our applause but also our prayers. So, we are tapping every Filipinos abroad, particularly those we could find in Busan, to lift our athletes’ spirits as they go for victories,” Buhain said.
In South Korea, there are more than 10,000 Filipinos with a big number expected to gather in Busan in time for the Philippine campaign.
A group, calling itself “Friends of the Filipino athletes” and composed of Buhain’s supporters and friends, will donate Philippine flaglets to the cheering squad.
“Aside from their Task Force-related assignments, the two PSC officials will have to double up on their tasks as they are to meet with embassy officials and the Filipino community, particularly in Busan and neighboring cities, and gather them for the big days ahead for our athletes,” Buhain said.
Buhain is so particular in drumming up physical support for Filipino athletes at competition venues as local telecast of the events remains unsure.
Local television networks are said to be having a hard time raising funds to buy the broadcast rights from the Busan Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC).
Buhain also exhorted the national athletes to give their best and win for flag in Busan.
With so much money and sweat poured into the athletes’ preparation and training, the PSC expects no less than a handsome return of investment from the athletes in Busan.
He asked the athletes to reciprocate government’s support to their National Sports Associations (NSAs) by aiming for medals in their respective events.
Buhain renewed the agency’s commitment to the 136 athletes who passed the criteria set by the joint PSC-Philippine Olympic Committee Asiad task force and some 50 others who are still gunning for berths in various competitions before the games.
“The PSC is doing everything we can to ensure that the Asiad-bound athletes are well-provided for,” he added. Ariel Paredes, a member of the Task Force committee on monitoring, reported that most of the Asian Games candidates “are reciprocating the full support they’re getting from the PSC.”
“They have no complaints, they know that they’re being taken care of. As athletes, they know that they can pay off these kind of support they’re getting by doing their best in the Asian Games.”
The PSC had earmarked 70 million pesos for the RP delegation’s actual participation in Busan, with almost half of the amount to be spent in buying equipment.
“The PSC is giving the athletes the best training and competition uniforms, sports equipment and even health supplements. The PSC is fulfilling its end of the bargain and we hope the athletes are doing the same,” said Suzara.
Some 10 million pesos worth of equipment have already been purchased by the PSC with still some 20 million pesos on a standby.
For the competition in October, 30 million pesos has been set aside while 10 million pesos — or more — are to be used for the international exposure of selected athletes.
The POC has vowed that only the best Filipino athletes will see action in the Asian Games and it has instructed the various NSAs to make sure that this directive is followed.
“We want to boost the morale of our athletes, and at the same time, stress that we have high hopes on them to give their best performance in the Asiad,” he said. “While we exhaust all means to finance our athletes, it is also their duty to give their best shot come September when the entire Filipino people shall rally behind them.”
The joint task force had projected a delegation of no more than 180 athletes for at least 23 events for the games, with around 50 coaches and technical officials to accompany them.
The number, officials said, easily cuts by half the 400-athlete, 200-official contingent the country sent in the Bangkok Asiad four years ago.
For an athlete to be eligible for the team, the task force has required a gold in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games or any SEA-level competition between 2001 and July 2002; bronze in Asian-level or world-level meets; and for measurable sports, a performance equivalent to the bronze in the 1998 Asiad.
Silver medalists in the 2001 SEAG or any SEA-level competition between 2001 and August 2002 are also given consideration subject to further justification and evaluation.
The PSC-POC Task Force made it clear that it will be strict in implementing the qualifying standards for the RP Team with Suzara predicting that “less than 150 could make it to the final lineup.”
“So far, the small number of aspirants allows the Task Force to fully concentrate on their training needs. A smaller figure would improve the support they will get from the PSC as the Asian Games draws closer.”
The POC, however, is not predicting how many medals the country would win in the Asiad since the complete lineup is still to be determined.
At this late date, some NSA’s are still evaluating their athletes and are not yet ready to name the members of their teams.
Earlier, the Philippines’ campaign got a shot in the arm after Sung Chon-hong, a Korean national but a Filipino both in heart and mind, promised to practically “babysit” the national delegation for the duration of the games. Sung was recently appointed as attache’ and goodwill ambassador by no less than the Busan Organizing Committee.
In effect, Hong will be the busiest and most important official of the whole Philippine team by being a powerful and influential member of the BOC.
“I’ll be all over Busan for the BOC but the job is only second to my responsibilities as a sports official of the Philippine delegation,” Hong, who is also the vice president of the Philippine Taekwondo Association said. “I’ll be using my position to help the Philippines’ bid in the Asian Games.”
Hong, who first set foot in the Philippines 26 years ago as a foreign coach for the local tae kwon do was also appointed as a member of the Asiad arbitration committee.
That last position is seen to safeguard the country’s tae kwon do campaign against biased officiating.
In the last Asiad in Bangkok where the country won one silver and three bronze medals, Hong facilitated the suspension of two foreign referees who did sloppy jobs for the Filipino jins’ matches.
“I’ll be on the floor, as always, where I will see that the competition is done properly. I’m not bragging but as member of the Asian Taekwondo Union executive council as well as the World Taekwondo Federation, our national jins will be assured of just officiating.”
For Busan, Hong predicts that “all 12 members of the RP Team will win medals.”
But aside from the benefits in tae kwon do, the rest of the Philippine delegation will be relying on Hong for all its needs — accommodation, communication and information — in campaigning in foreign soil.
Hong left for Busan last week to attend the BOC attaché meeting and to inspect all facilities, including those to be used by Filipino mediamen.
The Philippine Olympic Committee was positively surprised after receiving the news of Hong’s several appointments in the BOC.
“I’m assuring the POC and the whole Philippine delegation that I will be handling my responsibilities with them in my mind.
