Go turns down SEAG offer of American coach

Athletics boss Go Teng Kok yesterday flatly turned down an offer by an American coach to produce nine gold medals by Filipino bets in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Burma (Myanmar).

Go said the offer, coursed through SEAG chief of mission Jeff Tamayo, would be impossible to fulfill because “we lack the materials, we don’t even have sprinters,” plus the fact that the biennial Games is only five months away.

Tamayo said US coach Ryan Flaherty offered to waive his fees reportedly amounting to $10,000 a month if he can’t deliver on his promise. The coach is also reportedly planning to bring in six Fil-American athletes.

“In effect, we are buying athletes to win gold,” said Go. “That’s not our policy,” said Go who just arrived from the Asian Athletics Association convention where he was named honorary AAA Vice President for life.”

Go said the reported salary of Flaherty is way too high compared to local coaches who get P15,000 to P18,000 a month.

The Philippines usually relies on track and field to boost its gold medal harvest in the SEA Games. In the 2003 edition, the country bagged eight golds, three silvers and five bronzes before coming up with a 9-10-7 haul in Manila two years later.

But with Thailand’s rise in sprints and relay events, the country slid in the 2007 SEAG with 5-7-9, before rebounding  in the 2009 Laos event with a 7-3-4 showing. Two years ago the tracksters, like the rest of the PH delegation, sputtered with a 2-9-5 output.