PSC to spend P30-M for RP stint in Busan

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has allocated P30 million for the actual participation of the national athletes who will see action in the 14th Asian Games scheduled Sept. 29 - Oct. 14 in Busan, South Korea.

This was announced yesterday by Ramon Suzara, the PSC representative to the Busan Asian Games Task Force, during the PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn where he was joined by RP delegation chef de mission Tom Carrasco of triathlon.

"It’s the PSC’s role to fund the national athletes. So we at the task force are making sure that the money will be spent on athletes who can really compete at the Asian Games level," said Suzara.

Suzara added that they have yet to determine how much the PSC would spend for the preparation, training, exposure and equipment of the national athletes.

Carrasco said the task force, also composed of representatives of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), is close to winding up the second phase of its task and that is to meet with the leaders of the different national sports associations that will see action in Busan.

"The first phase was the setting up of the criteria on how to qualify for the Asian Games. And with regard to the second phase, we have met 24 of the 33 NSAs like billiards, athletics, golf and taekwondo. We expect to meet the nine others in the next two days," said Carrasco.

Carrasco said that after the meetings, where the NSA heads present their demands as far as training for the Asian Games are concerned, the task force will start monitoring the athletes’ training and development leading to the quadrennial meet.

The task force earlier announced the sending of a "lean but mean" delegation to the Asian Games composed of a little more than a hundred athletes. It will be a big cut from the more than 600 athletes that won only a single gold medal courtesy of billiards four years ago in Bangkok.

"Who wouldn’t want to surpass the one gold medal we won in Bangkok four years ago? That’s why we are convinced that the NSAs should really send their best. We should be positive and we should support our athletes," added Suzara.