The 26 athletes were endorsed by their respective National Sports Associations to the Philippine Sports Commission, headed by chairman Eric Buhain, to take part of the funds raised by the First Gentleman’s project aimed at giving Filipino athletes additional foreign exposures as part of their buildup for the coming Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
The country will again anchor its campaign in the Dec. 5-13 Games in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on a number of sports, particularly on 17 disciplines adopted by 18 corporations led by San Miguel Corp., which started the ball rolling by pitching in P10 million during the pledging session initiated by Arroyo in Malacañang last month.
Boxing, which is among those being counted on as possible producer of gold medals in Vietnam, will have two trips divided among 12 pugilists with Lhyven Salazar, Violito Payla, Ferdie Gamo, Anthony Igusguiza, Florencio Ferrer, Francis Joven and Maraon Goles set to leave for Mongolia to compete in the Narantuul Cup Amateur Boxing Championships on Sept. 15-20.
Other boxers granted foreign exposures were Bill Vicera, Warlito Parrenas, Genebert Basadre, Esmael Bacongon and Maximo Tabangcora. They will compete in a pre-SEA Games tournament in Vietnam on Oct. 1-7.
"There are many athletes being recommended for exposure and NSAs have submitted lists of competitions where they feel their athletes would gain more in their preparations for the SEA Games in Vietnam," Buhain said. "We are thankful to the companies which helped First Gentleman Mike Arroyo in this endeavor, their help really gave us some breathing room in expenses for the Vietnam buildup."
In an instruction to the PSC, Arroyo said athletes with medal potentials should be given at least one opportunity to compete abroad and gain the necessary exposure before they see action in Vietnam.
"It’s one way to get them (athletes) accustomed to playing against the international field, so that when they compete in Vietnam wala na silang kaba," Arroyo said after the pledging session at the Heroes Hall of the Malacañang Palace. The First Gentleman also told PSC officials to keep their focus on the athletes’ buildup and continue their quest to achieve a respectable finish before the Games move to Manila in 2005.
Aside from the boxers, grapplers Melchor Tumasis, Jimmy Angana, Michael Baletin, Marcus Valda, Francis Villanueva and Cristina Villanueva also embark on a 45-day training session under world-class wrestling coaches in Mongolia on Sept. 13-Oct. 28.
Four divers–Olympian Shiella Mae Perez, Rexel Ryan Fabriga, Jaime Asok and Zardo Domenios–are also set to attend a two-month training program in China starting next month.
Track and field athletes Maristella Torres, Dandy Gallenero and Sean Guevarra have set their sights on the Singapore Open Athletics Championships on Sept. 5-8, while lone judoka John Baylon, himself a veteran of many SEA Games competitions, leaves for Japan on Sept. 22 for a 54-day training stint.