Rio Olympic hopefuls get addt’l funds

The International Olympic Committee approved grants to 12 young Filipino athletes who will each receive $500 a month plus cash assistance for their training and foreign exposure all the way to their respective qualifying events to the  Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

The athletes were handed their certificates yesterday by the Philippine Olympic Committee which endorsed their names to the Olympic Solidarity Fund. Only 12 of the total 23 athletes endorsed were approved for grants.

The athletes who made the cut were John Paul Lizardo, Elaine Alora, Christian dela Cruz and Kristopher Uy from taekwondo, Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno from boxing, Princess Superal and Clare Legaspi from golf, Hagen Topacio and Amparo Acuna from shooting, Jasmine Al-Khaldi from swimming, and Hermie Macaranas from canoe/kayak.

“Our reputation in the IOC is solid and it only shows that we have gained their respect,” said POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

They will get their “scholarship grants” starting next month and will continue until they qualify for the Olympics.

But POC vice president Jose Romasanta said the athletes will be subjected to monitoring, and the grant will stop if the athletes won’t show improvement.