RP booters dropped from Asian Youth Games

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine campaign in the first Asian Youth Games in Singapore suffered an early blow yesterday when organizers finally decided to scratch the RP football team from the roster after one of its players was found positive of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

The team members who trained long and hard for the tournament will fly back to Manila on June 28, the day before the others who will represent the Philippines in the eight other sports disciplines leave for Singapore for the event that ends July 7.

The football team from Hong Kong was also dropped from competing after three players showed signs of the virus. The Singapore government has raised its alert level following the cases involving players from visiting teams.

It took officials of the Football Association of Singapore more than 24 hours to hand down the decision that was based on the strong recommendations of their Ministry of Health to have all members of the RP football team quarantined for seven days.

“They cannot just go against the law,” said Philippine Football Federation president Mari Martinez who had lengthy meetings with his counterparts the other day after a formal appeal was filed by the Philippines for inclusion in the football competition.

The quarantine period ends Friday morning, and organizers said they can allow the RP football team to play a friendly later in the afternoon.

Claudio Lopa, a 14-year-old, arrived in Singapore with the rest of the RP team last Thursday but showed signs of fever the following day. After a series of tests, he was found positive of the virus that has close to 50,000 cases and 200 deaths reported worldwide.

Lopa’s condition has improved, and since no other member of the RP team showed signs of the virus, officials felt the team deserved a chance to play the last two days of the eliminations in the hope of advancing to the next round.

Filipino officials, including Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping who flew to Singapore Sunday evening, appealed for the period of quarantine for the 18 Filipino players and two coaches be reduced from seven days to four days.

But organizers couldn’t act against what the law provides, and had no choice but to shut the door on the RP team.

Football competitions started on June 20 and the final match is set on July 6. There are 44 countries competing in the multi-sport event for athletes aged 14-17 years. There are competitions in aquatics, athletics, beach volley, 3-on-3 basketball, bowling, sailing, table tennis and shooting.

“There was pressure, too, regarding the schedule,” added Martinez, after the Philippines skipped its games against Taiwan and Iran after news broke out that one of its players had tested positive for the virus.

The rest of the team members were brought to a local resort for quarantine that ends Friday. Once they return home, they are expected to be quarantined once more.

The Philippine Center for Sports Medicine said the other day only half of the 61 RP athletes took flu vaccines from the PCSM.

Lopa’s mother, Ito, however, told The STAR through text that her son had taken the flu shot before leaving for Singapore “but not through the PSC.”

“He had it a few weeks before everyone else did. We submitted a certification to the PSC that he had gotten his flu shot,” she said.

To prevent a repetition of the incident, the Department of Health issued a guideline for the other members of the RP delegation — the quarantine of players and officials until their departure on June 29, daily health monitoring of sick delagates, and compliance with Singapore quarantine requirements.