FG pours in P92M more for RP athletes

In the next few days, money will start pouring in for 31 national sports associations that will take part in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games on Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.

The First Gentleman Foundation, which raised a grand total of P160 million for the training of the national athletes, yesterday announced the approval for release of P92 million.

Tessa Mangahas, executive director of the FGF, told the weekly SCOOP Sa Kamayan forum that boxing, a perennial medal winner for the Philippines, will get P1.9 million in assistance.

San Miguel Corp., which doled out P100 million to the cause, has promised to take care of boxing, not only for the SEA Games but in future meets like the Asian Games or Olympics.

Athletics is set to receive a P3.7 million package to be spent on international exposure, the purchase of training equipment and vitamins for the athletes.

The Lucio Tan Group of Companies is also set to release P1.4 million to shooting for the national team’s participation in the forthcoming International Practical Shooting Federation World Cup in Europe.

Mangahas failed to identify the other sports that will benefit from the P92 million funding.

There are 41 sports that will be played and close to 400 gold medals disputed in this year’s SEA Games, and the Philippines is hoping to give the overall title a good run.

Mangahas said NSAs that have already availed themselves of the FGF funding are archery with P556,000 care of SMC, sepak takraw P391,000 from Reynaldo David, cycling P300,000 from Pagcor, lawn tennis P993,000 from Globe Telecom, Muay Thai P450,000, and pencak silat P600,000.

These NSAs, according to Mangahas, are those who submitted their training program to the national training committee on time. She added that some NSAs have yet to receive any benefit since they have yet to submit their detailed training programs.

Members of the training committee include Michael Keon, the national training director; Butch Tuason, the former Philippine Sports Commission chairman; and Joey Romasanta, former Gintong Alay director.