President Rodrigo Duterte poses with Filipino athletes bound for Rio Olympics. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Jerome Ascano
PRESIDENT Duterte provided the inspiration the national athletes direly need in their noble mission to finally bring home a medal from the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
Duterte received the Filipino athletes on Monday in Malacañang roughly a week before packing their bags to Rio De Janeiro in time for the Aug. 5-21 Summer Games.
“Just try your best. Not everybody is given the chance to serve his country,’’ Duterte told six of the 12 Rio-bound athletes who attended the courtesy call with their coaches and top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Imposing in their flaming red Olympic jackets, golfer Miguel Tabuena, Ian Lariba of table tennis, taekwondo jin Kirstie Elaine Alora, lifter Nestor Colonia and three-time Olympians Marestella Torres-Sunang (long jump) and Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting) were vibrant throughout the one-hour affair.
Absent during the special gathering that happened for the first time in over six years were boxers Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez, hurdler Eric Cray, swimmers Jasmine Alkhaldi and Jessie Khing Lacuna and lady marathoner Mary Joy Tabal.
Ladon and Suarez are training in the United States as well as Cray and Alkhaldi while Lacuna and Tabal are in Australia and Japan. The courtesy call for the athletes was arranged by Secretary Christopher Lawrence Go, head of the Presidential Management Staff.
Aware that Filipino athletes lack the proper funding to keep up with the best athletes in the world, Duterte said solving the problem on uncollected taxes could provide sports a financial boost.
“We’re losing P300 million a day because of these uncollected taxes,’’ said Duterte. “If only I could give one or two days of collection, the problem on funding our athletes will be solved.’’
The cash incentives from the government will be added inspiration for the athletes. A gold medal in the Olympics is worth P10 million, a silver is equivalent to P5 million and a bronze P2 million.
“I’ll give you an island,’’ Duterte jokingly said.
“It’s a small delegation. We don’t have the structure to spot our best athletes. In fact, we discover our athletes from the province.”
Joining the athletes were POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr., PSC chair William Ramirez, POC 1st vice president and Olympic chef de mission Joey Romasanta, chairman Tom Carrasco, treasurer Julian Camacho as well as PSC commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey and Arnold Agustin.
“On behalf of the POC and the athletes, his (Duterte) inspiration may just be what we need to win medals in the Olympics. Our heartfelt gratitude to President Duterte,’’ said Cojuangco.
“To me as a public servant, there’s no greater honor than to represent the country in an international competition,’’ said Ramirez.
Prior to his 20-minute talk with the athletes, Duterte turned over the Philippine flag to Romasanta, the country’s chef de mission in the Olympics.
Since boxer Mansueto Velasco got a silver medal from the 1996 Atlanta Games, the Philippines hasn’t brought home a medal from the greatest sports gathering in the world./rga
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