POC forming own group of elite athletes

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Olympic Committee is forming its own army of athletes independent of the one formed by the Philippine Sports Commission.

POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. yesterday said athletes from different sports would be hand-picked for training, without any distractions, for four major competitions overseas.

He explained that the POC’s elite athlete project—a pool of 100 to 200 athletes—is a separate endeavor from the priority program of the Philippine Sports Commission.

Assuming he earns another four-year term as Olympic chief, Cojuangco said the program would kick off in January next year.

The four major multisport events are the 2013 Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China; 2013 SEA Games in Naypidaw, Myanmar; 2014 Youth Olympics in Singapore, and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

“We should prepare in earnest for these tournaments if we want to improve our performance,” said Cojuangco, who is running for a third consecutive term as POC chief.

Cojuangco said the athletes would live and train at Philsports Complex in Pasig with coaches and trainers assigned to monitor their activities 24/7. He said the bulk of the projects funding would come from private sponsors.