‘Brand name’ no bearing for Tokyo qualifiers

World Archery Philippines president Clint Aranas said his federation will put up stringent standards for the selection of athletes who will be sent to Tokyo Olympic qualifiers.

“Not because you have a name, you’re a brand already. You may have the track record or you may be a champion, but if during the qualifier you didn’t make it, we will not send you,’’ Aranas said during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association forum.

Right now, Jayson Feliciano of Dagupan City, Carson Hastie of Dumaguete City and US-based Riley Silos have shown promise as well as Dumaguete-based lady archers Pia Bidaure, Phoebe Amistoso and Gabrielle Monica Bidaure.

According to Aranas, these archers have the inside track when the Olympic qualifying season arrives early next year in time for the Tokyo Summer Games.

“We normally pick the best archers from the local qualifiers before sending them to the Olympic qualifiers,’’ said Aranas, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) board member who will run against incumbent POC president Abraham Tolentino in the Nov. 27 elections.

“We only send people who are in their A-game to these world shoots,’’ he added during the weekly forum backed by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold Philippines and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp..

From among the national sports associations, Philippine archery owns the distinction of winning a gold medal in a regular Olympic event when Gabriel Moreno struck gold in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

Aranas, a lawyer by profession, said at least three qualifying meets were shelved this year due to the COVID-19 crisis and they’re expecting several qualifiers next year where they can earn those sought-after Olympic spots.