A BONANZA of an incentive—a house and lot—will again be at stake for a gold medal won by a Filipino athlete in the Paris Olympics.
“If I gave houses and lots to the medalists in the Tokyo Olympics, why can’t and won’t do it again for Paris,” Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in Thursday’s official launching the POC-Cignal TV partnership “Isang Daang Taon Laban Para sa Bayan: Celebrating 100 Years of Filipino Excellence in the Olympics” at Cignal’s Launchpad Building headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
Tolentino, in his capacity as both POC chief and mayor of Tagaytay City, rewarded houses and lots to the country’s medalists in the Tokyo 2020 Olymmpics—gold medalist weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo and boxing silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam.
But because of the windfall of medals—the most by any Philippine delegation in the quadrennial Games—Tolentino also gave boxer Eumir Felix Marcial his own house and lot for his bronze medal.
The compound where the three boxers’ homes are located in Tagaytay City are now aptly called Olympic Village.
“Our gold medalist, one or more, in Paris fully deserves this reward for their hard work, dedication and love for sport and country,” said Tolentino, the first POC president to ever harness a month-long training camp for an Olympic participation by any Philippine delegation.
Filipino athletes competing in Paris will have the privilege of a month-long training camp in La Moselle in Metz complete with training facilities for any sport, board and lodging.