Conditioning, nutrition vital for Olympians

THE SUCCESS rate of the Philippines in the London Olympics hinges on a conditioning and nutrition program that the coaches have put in place.

Saying that money is no longer the problem, national Olympic chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. yesterday underscored the importance of these key elements for the 11 Filipino Olympians.

“I still maintain that these athletes could have been prepared better. It’s not about money anymore, it’s all about proper training,” said Cojuangco.

To address the shortcomings in succeeding high-level tournaments, Cojuangco has hired a US-based strength and conditioning expert to put the national team in better shape.

Carlos Sumulong, Cojuangco’s nephew, has been tasked to whip up the national athletes into outstanding form beginning with the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar next year.

Sumulong and his team recently held a four-day seminar for coaches and local government unit sports representatives.