By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Eight Filipino athletes who qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics are scheduled to leave for Metz, France early Saturday, June 22, for the final phase of their preparations for the sports’ grandest showpiece.
Set to undergo a month-long training in the French city are boxers Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Hergie Bacyadan and Carlo Paalam, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Ceniza and Elreen Ando, and rower Joanie Delgaco.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) arranged the said training camp for Team Philippines to help athletes acclimatize and familiarize themselves with the venue and competition conditions in time for the quadrennial hostilities slated July 26 to Aug. 11.
The camp is located an hour and a half train ride from Paris and offers world-class facilities.
Other Filipino athletes like two-time world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo are also expected to join Team PH in the coming days.
Some athletes have been training and competing overseas that include boxer Eumir Marcial in the United States, pole vaulter EJ Obiena in Europe, fencer Sam Catantan in Italy, and gymnasts Levi Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan in the United States.
Prior to their departure, some Filipino Olympic qualifiers got a big boost on Friday, June 21, after individually receiving P500,000 financial assistance from Senator Bong Go through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The checks were handed out personally by Sen. Go himself at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex along with PSC Commissioners Edward Hayco and Bong Coo, PSC Executive Director Francisco Tatad and film actor Philip Salvador.
Athletes in attendance were Petecio, Villegas, Bacyadan, Paalam, Yulo, Sarno, Ceniza, Ando and Delgaco.
“Ang mahalaga, bigyan natin sila ng suporta mula sa gobyerno even before the competition and after the competition. Ito’y isang pagkilala at pagsaludo sa kanilang sakripisyo at dedikasyon,” said Sen. Go, who is also chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Sports.
Petecio, speaking on behalf of the athletes, thanked the Senator for the support.
“Ramdam na ramdam po namin ang inyong suporta na ibibigay nyo sa amin. Lubos po kaming nagpapasalamat don dahil pinaramdam nyo po yung suporta na kailangan ng mga atleta,” said Petecio, who won the silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“Sa kabila po ng aming pagod, matinding paghahanda, sakripisyo na nilalaan sa bawat training, pero tinitiis po namin yon para patunayan sa buong mundo na kaya nating iangat ang Pilipinas,” she added.
More athletes are expected to earn berths in the coming days with various international federations scheduled to release the final list of Olympic qualifiers that include swimming, athletics, golf, judo.
The PH team hopes to sustain its historic showing in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago when it bagged one gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
