Athletics gets P12-M more from San Mig

Athletics won’t have any reason to fail when the country hosts the 23rd Southeast Asian Games late this year.

This after San Miguel Corp. gave track and field an additional P12 million that brought its training budget total to P18 million–the biggest among the 41 National Sports Associations competing in the biennial meet slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5 in key sites in Metro Manila, Luzon, Cebu and Bacolod.

National training director Michael Keon yesterday made the announcement during the weekly "SCOOP sa Kamayan" in Padre Faura where he also announced the budget allotments of all 41 NSAs from the more than P160 million fund First Gentleman Mike Arroyo generated in a pledging session last January.

Initially, athletics was alloted P6 million courtesy of the Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) expected to be utilized in funding the training of the athletes in either the United States or China where the country has a sports accord.

The additional P6 million is just a chunk of what the food and beverage giant pledged to track and field, which amounts to P100 million. Thirteen other NSAs are also benefiting from San Miguel.

Athletics chief Go Teng Kok, who also heads the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, said they’re using the additional amount not only for training but to purchase new equipment and for the coaches.

"Hindi lang ata kami ang tumaas, pati ‘yung ibang NSAs din," said Go, who predicted to surpass its eight-gold medal haul in the 2003 Hanoi SEAG.

"Siyempre masaya kami at malaking tulong ito sa amin."