First Gent to tap private firms tomorrow

The First Gentleman Foundation, Inc. will hold the first-ever pledging session tomorrow to support the training of the country’s gold medal hopefuls in the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

The pledging session will be held starting at 11 a.m. at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang with officials of top corporations in attendance.

FGFI chairman Jose Miguel Arroyo will welcome the athletes, corporate officials and members of media while Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain and Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit will introduce the gold medal prospects. FGFI consultant Rod Feliciano and former swim queen Akiko Thomson will emcee the program.

The monetary pledges from these corporations will help for the last three months of training of the country’s gold medal hopefuls competing in the SEA Games Dec. 5-13 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

The FGFI arrived at this decision to conduct a pledging session after a series of consultation meetings with the POC and the PSC.

Tomorrow’s activity is in line with the "Medalyang Ginto, May Laban Tayo" sports project.

The pledging session, "Alay Ko Para sa Medalyang Ginto," will be preceded by a presentation of the country’s gold medal bets from a list jointly drawn up by the PSC and the POC. Buhain and Dayrit said these athletes are considered legitimate gold medal contenders in their events based on their past performance in local and international competition and on the gold medal winning performances in these events in the last SEA Games.

Arroyo said that it is high time for all the Filipinos, especially the corporate sector, to be actively involved in the development of Filipino sports heroes. "The entire nation basks in the collective honor and pride whenever an athlete brings home the gold and the glory. It is only fitting that we take a more dynamic part in the training of our Filipino sports heroes," Arroyo stressed.

Eighty-five athletes representing 17 sporting events are tagged as the Philippines’ gold medal hopefuls in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games. Close to 500 athletes will compete in the Vietnam SEA Games. Among those who made the joint lists are Gretchen Malalad, (karatedo), Miguel Molina (swimming), Harry Tanamor (boxing), Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito (athletics), Roberto Cruz (taekwondo), John Bailan (judo), Cintamoni de Guzman (gymnastics), Benjie Tolentino (rowing) and Jethro Dionisio (shooting).