Tankers to raise funds for Athens qualifier

When there’s a will, there’s a way.

The Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) has put up its own fund-raising campaign just to ensure the smooth participation of six Filipino swimmers in Asia’s final Olympic qualifying tournament later this month in Kuala Lumpur.

Anthony Lozada, PASA training director, said the fund-raiser is intended to augment whatever financial assistance that would come from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the government’s funding arm in sports.

A brand-new Honda City worth at least P600,000 is at stake in the raffle promo put up by PASA which is selling tickets at P300 each. The PASA president, Chito Ilagan, is connected with Honda Philippines.

Lozada said they have a pending request for financial assistance with the PSC but has put up the fund-raiser just in case nothing comes out of it.

"This fund-raising campaign is ongoing so we can generate the needed funds to send our swimmers to Malaysia and have a rare chance of competing in the Olympics," said Lozada in yesterday’s SCOOP sa Kamayan Forum.

The swimmers still vying for Olympic berths in the Malaysian event on June 23 to 26 are Maria Lisa Danila, Marichi Gandionco, Gerard Gabriel Bordado, Luica Dacanay, Martin Kalaw and Rafael Chua.

Two swimmers, Miguel Molina and Miguel Mendoza, have already qualified to the Athens Olympics in August to join eleven other Filipino athletes who will all try to give the country’s its first gold in the quadrennial event.

"We understand the situation at PSC. It’s either there’s lack of fund or there’s none. But we won’t just stand in one corner and do nothing. We have to give our swimmers the opportunity to realize their dreams," Lozada added.