PSC taps Romanian for gymnasts

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission has granted the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines’ request to hire Romanian Luminta Eftemiu, who will train and prepare the national gymnasts in the next eight months for the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 11-25 in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia.

As stated in PSC resolution No. 166-2011 signed and approved by the board chaired by Richie Garcia, Eftemiu will be given a monthly salary of $2,500 or P107,750 that started last Saturday until the end of the year.

Eftemiu will actually receive more than what Chinese Wang Qing (fencing) and American Eric Lecain (beach volleyball) will be getting.

Wang, who will specifically focus on the saber event, will receive $1,600 a month starting on April 20 this year and ending April 19 next year while Lecain has been getting $1,500 monthly stipend as early as last January until Dec. 31 this year as indicated in Resolution Nos. 137-2011 and 103-2011.

GAP clarified though that Eftemiu’s monthly salary will include her accommodation, transportation and other related expenses while the rest are for her services as coach of a young gymnastics team seeking to make a big impact in the biennial, 11-nation meet.

Garcia said Eftemiu, Wang and Lecain are just three of the several foreign mentors tapped by the government’s sports-funding agency for the various NSAs. The others are triathlon, wushu, windsurfing, shooting, taekwondo, rugby and football.

“It was approved last March 17 and w e’re hoping it would help us win medals in the SEA Games,” said Garcia.

Football, of course, is mentored by German Hans Michael Weiss, whose Azkals advanced to the AFC Challenge Cup group stage despite a 1-2 loss in Mongolia as Phl posted an aggregate score of 3-2 following the Azkals’ 2-0 win in Bacolod City last month.

Basketball has Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman, who, however, is being shouldered by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas for his services rendered for a Smart Gilas Pilipinas team seeking to top this September’s FIBA-Asia Championship in Wuhan, China for the lone berth to the 2012 London Olympics.