Long jumper Marestella Torres is one of the top athletes in the last Southeast Asian Games.
MANILA, Philippines—All 162 individual medalists of the Philippine contingent that fell to a record low sixth place overall in the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia last November were elevated by the Philippine Sports Commission Thursday to the elite group of athletes who will be trained extensively for the 2012 SEAG in Myanmar.
At the same time, the PSC announced the list of 10 sports, led by boxing and taekwondo, that will be given priority funding under a directive from President Aquino to channel limited funding to events where the country is considered strong.
Completing the select list which will avail of a total budget of P108 million were athletics, swimming, wushu, archery, wrestling, bowling, weightlifting and billiards.
PSC chair Richie Garcia announced that the 29 individual winners plus the 65 silver and 68 bronze medalists will receive specialized training, foreign exposure and huge monthly allowances beginning next month until next year’s SEA Games.
Garcia said the PSC will spend P4.8 million per month just for the allowances of the 162 priority athletes or P57.6 million a year aside from the cost of billeting and accommodation, foreign training and exposure and nutrition.
“We’re prepared to spend that amount for this program. If they don’t win in the next SEA Games, they will be removed from the list,” said Garcia. “If you don’t get a medal (in Myanmar), your allowance will be discontinued unless your sport is a priority.”
The select sports were ranked based on their medal potential with boxing and taekwondo to get P35 million each, athletics, swimming and wushu P12 million each, archery, wrestling, bowling and weightlifting P10 million each and bowling P8 million.
Shooting, an Olympic sport with a lot of medals at stake like athletics and swimming, failed to make it to the priority roster, but it was included as “a rebuilding sports” with a P10 million budget.
The top athletes in the last SEA Games were Iris Rañola of billiards, Frederick Ong of bowling, long jumper Marestella Torres, GM Wesley So, boxers Charly Suarez and Dennis Galvan, cyclists John Renee Mier and Alfie Catalan and wrestlers Jason Balabal and Margarito Angana, among others.