PSC names priority sports, athletes

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission yesterday identified 10 sports it is giving priority attention with the hopes of improving the country’s showing in the next Southeast Asian Games.

At the same time, the government sports body named 29 athletes to the “priority athletes’ list.”

Boxers Charly Suarez, Dennis Galvan, Alice Kate Apparri and Josie Gabuco and taekwondo jins John Paul Lizardo, Kristie Elaine Alora, Maria Camille Manalo, Francesca Camille Alarilla, Ma. Carla Janice Lagman and Rani Ann Ortega made the elite list composed of athletes who all won gold medals in the last SEA Games in Indonesia.

Wushu’s Eduard Folayang and Mark Eddiva, billiards’ Iris Ranola and Dennis Orcollo, archery’s Delfin Anthony Adriano and Earl Benjamin Yap, cycling’s Alfie Catalan and John Renee Mier, tennis’ Treat Conrad Huey and Denise Dy, wrestling’s Jason Balabal and Margarito Angana, long jumper Marestella Torres, bowling’s Frederick Ong, chess’ Wesley So, equestrian’s Martin Diego Lorenzo, fin swimming’s Danielle Faith Torres, judo’s Nancy Quillotes and wall climbing’s Elaine Kristine Flores also made it.

These athletes will receive a monthly allowance of P40,000, an improvement from their previous take of only P25,000.

“This is to encourage these athletes to do nothing else but train full time,” said Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia in yesterday’s presentation at the Badminton Hall.

A total of 65 SEAG silver medalists were named as Class B athletes who are entitled to a monthly stipend of P30,000 while 68 bronze medalists are in the Class C athletes (with a monthly allowance of P25,000).

Boxing and taekwondo, the best performing sports in Indonesia with four gold medals each, are expected to get the biggest chunk of financial support from the PSC.

The other eight “priority sports” that will get big funding from the PSC are athletics (P12m), swimming (P12m), wushu (P12m), archery (P10m), wrestling (P10 m), bowling (P8m), weightlifting (P8m) and billiards (P6m).

Curiously, swimming is the only event included in the priority list that didn’t win a single gold in Indonesia.

“Finally, we will have a direction in our program. It’s actually for the future of our athletes and Philippine sports in general,” said Philippine Sports commissioner Jolly Gomez.

“This is something that should be done for us to achieve the goal we wanted, which is to win more medals in future international games,” Garcia said.

The PSC will also allot funding to 25 disciplines considered on the rebuilding phase.

Shooting, which fired blanks in Indonesia but has strong Olympic-medal potential, will get P10 million, the biggest in the 25 “rebuilding sports” while chess gets P8 million and dance sports, cycling and judo P5 million each.

Badminton, baseball, basketball, canoe-kayak, karate, rowing, rugby, sailing, volleyball, dragon boat, equestrian, fencing, football/futsal, gymnastics, softball, table tennis, lawn tennis and triathlon are to receive P3 million while golf will have P2.5 million and water polo P2 million.