No China travel for PH athletes

For obvious reasons, Filipino athletes who are heading to China as a possible route to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics have shelved their plans for an indefinite timetable.

First to abort her China trip is weightlifting heroine Hidilyn Diaz, who planned to set up camp there prior to the Asian championships in Kazakhstan less than three months from now.Diaz trained for 58 days in China before bagging a silver medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Since returning to China is impossible, the 28-year-old World Cup champion in the women’s 55-kg division has decided to set up camp in Malaysia instead.“We are affected by the virus, our training and our preparation. It goes the same for other athletes as well,” Diaz said in Filipino.

Philippine Sports Commission Chair William Ramirez and Team Philippines chef de mission Mariano Araneta presided over a meeting on Monday where it was unanimously decided that no Filipino athlete should travel to China at this time.“I believe all qualifying tournaments in China are in danger of being canceled,” said Philippine Olympic Committee chair Steve Hontiveros.

According to Hontiveros, it’s the job of the national sports associations (NSAs) to find ways on how their athletes can secure berths in the Olympics in the absence of qualifying meets originally scheduled in China and other countries affected by the virus.

“The affected NSAs will submit alternatives [of Olympic qualifying events] by Friday,” Ramirez said.

Boxing in the Olympics was supposed to hold its Asian continental qualifying in Wuhan this week but was transferred to Jordan next month.

“We also don’t want to risk going there (China). The safety and health of our athletes are paramount concerns that should not be taken for granted,” Hontiveros added. INQ