P249M budget ng PSC nakasalalay sa performance ng

Hindi pa siguradong makukuha ng Philippine Sports Commission ang kanilang target na P249 milliong budget sa susunod na taon.

Ito’y nakadepensa sa magiging performance ng Philippine delegation sa 21st Southeast Asian Games na gaganapin sa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"That’sa why our athletes will have to perform well in Kuala Lumpur. Then we will look for ways to get to President Arroyo regarding the budget. The PSC really needs a bigger budget for it to push through with its program," pahayag ni Monico Puentevella na panauhin sa Puentevella na panauhin PSA Forum sa Holiday Inn Manila kahapon.

Ang pagpapadala ng bansa ng 352 total athletes at 150 officials sa beinnial meet na nakatakda sa Sept. 8-17 ay inaasahang mag-uuwi ng 40 gold medals.

"I really hope that Congress takes a look at our budget. Next year we’ll have the Asian Games and the expenses will once again come-in. Plus the peso devaluation, it really affects our programs and preparations," dagdag ni Puentevella, chairman ng Sports and Youth Committee of the Lower House.

"After the SEA Games, may be we can start giving bigger financial assistance to the NSA’s (National Sports Associations) where we have bigger chances of winning in the future," pahayag ni PSC Chairman Carlos Tuason na panauhin din sa naturang Forum na sponsored ng Agfa, Red Bull at McDonald’s.

"That’s what the other countries have been doing now," dagdag ni Tuason na nagsabing P249 million ang nais makuha ng PSC sa taong 2002.

Sinabi ni Monico Puentevella na naging Commissioner ng PSC ng pitong taon bago ito mahalal na Congressman noong eleksiyon, na tutulong ito sa layunin ng PSC dahil mahalaga ang grss root development program para sa bansa.

Para sa philippine Olympic Committe (POC) president Celso Dayrit, hindi dapat balewalain ang SEA Games ng mga atleta at opisyal kumpara sa Asian Games at Olympicsd.

"We are going to compete there and that’s the main reason we’re sending the national athletes there (Kuala Lumpur)."

Samantala, inihayag ni Dayrit na sina Benjie Tolentino, taekwondo jin Roberto Cruz at wushu champion Mark Rosales ang magiging official flag-bearers ng bansa sa SEA Games.

Ang 25-gulang na si Tolentino ang magbibitbit ng bandila sa Kuala Lumpur, ang main venue ng 2001 SEA Games habang sina Cruz at Rosales ang flag bearer sa Johoro at Penang Malysia ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Ang bansa ay lalahok sa 29 ng 32 sports disciplines.