BY NICK GIONGCO
Football chief and Philippine Chief of Mission Nonong Araneta yesterday urged leaders of national sports associations to exercise sound judgement in asking for financial assistance in their quest to send qualifiers to the Tokyo Games.
“Kung suntok sa buwan hwag na lang,” said Araneta after a series of one-on-one meetings with NSAS at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Araneta noted that there are a few NSAs that seem to be on the lookout for a junket, stressing that the bid to qualify for the Olympic Games is serious business.
“Remember that we are spending taxes, public funds here,” said Araneta, referring to one NSA that has virtually no chance of qualifying.
“Look, there is one sport that will only get 50 qualified athletes and the ranking of (our) athlete is 300th.”
It is the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) that will finance the training and overseas exposure of NSAs that have an eye on the Olympics.
“So we have to be extra-careful in spending,” he said without naming the NSAs that appear to be more concerned about cashing in on funds intended for athletes that have genuine chances of making the Olympic grade.
The NSAs have identified about 50 Olympic candidates although only 38 were deemed capable of securing berths.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is targeting to send 20 or more to Tokyo for the July 24-Aug. 9 Games. The last time in Rio 2016, only 13 athletes made it.
POC President Bambol Tolentino is planning to undertake a fundraiser to shore up the Philippines’ drive to win a medal in Tokyo.
Araneta, meanwhile, is meeting with PSC chairman Butch Ramirez on Thursday so he can present the NSAs’ revised Olympic program in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak that has affected the preparations of several NSAs.
With talks rife with a rumored postponement or even a cancellation of the Olympics, Araneta has only one advice to the NSAs and the athletes.
“Just concentrate on your training because there has been no (official) announcement that the Olympics have been scrapped so just keep on training even if all the questions I have been getting lately are about whether it will be postponed or not,” added Araneta.
