After Philippines' golden Olympic performance, work continues for sports funding arm

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s magical performance in the Paris Olympics will not stop the Philippine Sports Commission from striving and dreaming for more. 

“Milestones were achieved,” said PSC chairman Dickie Bachman, referring to the Paris Games, during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“And to rate our performance (in Paris), I would give it a gold,” added Bachmann in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Smart/PLDT, MILO and ArenaPlus, the leading sports entertainment in the Philippines.

Gymnast Carlos Yulo won two gold medals in an astonishing feat while female boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas put the finishing touches with a couple of bronze medals.

It was the best finish for the Philippines after 100 years of participation in the Olympics, and the entire nation rejoiced.

But Bachman, a former athlete himself, would rather refrain from saying, “it’s good enough.”

After all the parades, motorcades, the long line of well-wishers and gift-giving, the PSC, which is the government’s funding arm in sports, is ready to buckle down to work.

“It’s time to go back to work. We look forward to continue to win in international events, intensify our grassroots and improve our sports facilities,” added Bachmann.

He reiterated the government’s role to “provide financial assistance to all NSAs and all sports.”

Grassroots development, he added, is the first of many steps all the way to the Olympics, where Filipinos have proven in the last two editions that they can win the gold.

“You don’t know how hard it is to qualify to the Olympics, and it’s doubly hard to win a medal,” said Bachmann, counting on the continued support from the government, from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to Congress.

“I thank all the legislators for continuing to support us. And we will just continue with our mandate,” added the PSC chief.