Time for RP to win Olympic gold – FG

It’s about time for the Philippines to be counted among the best in the Olympics.

First Gentleman Mike Arroyo hurled this challenge after he vowed to help raise the P250 million that will help fuel the country’s bid to win a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Why does Hong Kong have an Olympic gold? Why does Thailand have an Olympic gold? So, it’s about time that we win the gold and show that we are truly world class," said Arroyo.

The First Gentleman has once again called on the private sector for the same kind of support it provided during the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games where the RP athletes emerged the overall champion.

"The funding for the Olympics will be at P250 million. And I will talk to our friends from the private sector. We will once again use the godfather system," said the First Gentleman.

Through the private sector, the First Gentleman raised more than P160 million that was used to fund the training of the hundreds of Filipino athletes for the last SEA Games.

"The godfathers will take care of the training of the sport," he added.

San Miguel Corporation led the SEA Games donors by pouring in P100 million that was used to train the athletes in China, Korea, Japan, Europe and the US.

The same formula will be used for the Beijing Olympics.

"In the meantime we will go to Beijing to ask their sports minister’s (Lu Ping) help in the training of our athletes," said the First Gentleman who recently met Philippine Sports Commission Butch Ramirez.

"Maganda ang takbo ng Philippine sports (Philippine sports is on a roll) and we will take advantage of this. Winning a gold in Beijing is the dream of President Arroyo," said Ramirez.

"I just hope that we all unite because this is not just for the athletes but the country as well," added the First Gentleman.