PNG crucial test for nat’l priority bets

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission expects no less than superb  efforts from the country’s priority athletes in the coming Philippine National Games, which has been designated as the qualifying meet for this year’s Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

“They are full-time athletes and we’ve been giving them allowances higher than usual. There’s no reason for them not to perform on a high level,” said PSC chair Richie Garcia yesterday.

A total of 150 priority athletes from various NSAs, all of them medalists in the previous SEA Games held in 2011 Indonesia,  enjoy as much as P40,000 in monthly allowances on top of overseas training and international exposures.

“They will be relegated immediately to the training pool if we’re not satisfied with their performances. What we’re doing isn’t government intervention, we’re just spending the government’s money the right way,” said Garcia.

Open to all athletes, the PNG will be held in several venues around Metro Manila on May 25-June 2 with the priority athletes expected to win their events.

Garcia said the PNG is a perfect venue to assess the progress of the athletes.

“It’s not only a matter of winning. We also work hard in monitoring the performances of our athletes based on record,” said Garcia. “They should surpass those records.”