PH Olympic bets to get jabs abroad

Filipino athletes bound for the Tokyo Olympics and are training overseas will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in countries where they’re currently based.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said Malaysia gave its assurance that weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and her team will receive their second dose of the vaccine.

The Cavite representative, likewise, got a guarantee on the inoculation of gymnast Carlos Yulo and his Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya from the Japan Olympic Committee and the Japanese Gymnastics Association .

“I’d like to express my gratitude to all our NOC (national Olympic committee) neighbors for helping our athletes to get vaccinated,” said Tolentino, who is also the national cycling federation (PhilCycling) president.

Diaz, conditioning coach Julius Naranjo and Chinese coach Kaiwen Gao have been training in Selangor for more than a year.

The boxers, particularly Olympic qualifiers Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, will get theirs at the Thailand training camp where they are staying. Eumir Felix Marcial completed his vaccines in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Also getting their vaccines while abroad are boxers Rogen Ladon, Ian Clark Bautista, James Palicte, Marjon Piañar, Risa Pasuit and Aira Villegas and coaches Donald Abnett, Nolito “Boy” Velasco, Ronald Chavez, Elmer Pamisa and Reynaldo Galido.

“Although vaccines are not mandatory in the Olympics, we cannot put the well-being and health of our athletes at risk,” Tolentino said. Tolentino said the POC is reaching out to pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena to get his vaccine in Italy, where he is training. INQ