RP bets excited but not nervous

ATHENS – First-timers Timmy Chua, Jasmin Figueroa and Jethro Dionisio expressed delight and excitement as they arrived here Saturday morning together with seven officials of the Philippine team to the 28th Olympic Games set Aug. 13-29.

"Excited ako, pero hindi pa ako kinakabahan. Wala pa kasing laban," said 19-year-old Figueroa as she claimed her luggage shortly after a 16-hour trip from Manila, including a two-hour stopover in Bangkok.

"Totoo na ito," gushed 21-year-old swimmer Chua, who felt as if he just woke up from a dream. "Noong nasa Maynila pa tayo kagabi (Friday), iniisip ko kung talagang sa Athens Olympic ako pupunta. Ngayon, paniwala na ako.

The 32-year-old Dionisio, a member of the RP men’s trap team that won a gold medal in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, said he’s just as excited as Chua. But he’s also concerned that he "would need to see the range and train some more" because he wants to do well here.

Chef de mission Steve Hontiveros led the three rookies and six other officials who comprised the first batch of the "lean and mean" RP delegation to this multi-event sportsfest.

The officials are coaches Ramon Jose Corral (shooting), Henry Manalang (archery) and Anthony Lozada (swimming), aquatics team leader Francisco "Chito" Rivera, administrative officer Carlos Santos-Viola and press attaché Gus Villanueva.

Only 16 athletes will carry the country’s colors here. The others are foreign-based swimmers Miguel Mendoza, Miguel Molina, Jacklyn Pangilinan and James Bernard Walsh, boxers Harry Tañamor, Violito Payla, Romeo Brin and Christopher Camat, taekwondo-jins Donald David Geisler III, Mary Antoinette Rivero and Tshomlee Go and track stars Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito and Eduardo Buenavista.

The boxers are scheduled to check in at the Athletes’ Village Sunday after concluding their training in Bugeat, France. Gabito, who is entered in the long jump, and Buenavista, who will see action in the marathon, will arrive Monday, just a day ahead of the swimmers who are flying here from the United States.

Geisler, Rivero and Go will leave Manila on Aug. 15, giving them 10 more days of training before plunging into competition on Aug. 26.

Pangilinan, who was recruited by Harvard after a successful stint at Clifton High in New Jersey, will be aided here by her American coach, Ilan Noach.

"We had a tough trip from Manila, but nobody’s complaining," said Hontiveros, who is also the world bowling federation (FIQ) president.