Carlos Yulo’s brother Karl Eldrew, along with Southeast Asian Games’ gold medallists Juan Miguel Besana, John Ivan Cruz, will train with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya this year.
Their development will be Kugimiya’s concern, months after he parted ways with the multi-titled Olympian Yulo.
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines chief Cynthia Norton-Carrion said this after Kugimiya came to Manila last week, with the esteemed Japanese mentor staying on as the Philippine national team head coach.
“It’s not only the grassroots that he is taking care of, he is also going to be training Eldrew, Ivan and Miguel,” said Carrion following an evaluation, which Kugimiya did before he went home to Japan on Saturday.
Carrion said the the 23-year-old Carlos, who recently qualified for the Paris Olympics, will be handled by 68-year-old Japanese mentor Tomoharu Sano instead later this month.
Sano, who used to be a member of the Japanese national team, is coming in because Caloy has already “outgrown” his former coach.
“Of course, that’s because he (Carlos) has outgrown coach Mune. Mune trains people (athletes), who are starting off. And he has already been training Caloy since he was seven years old,” added Carrion.
The 15-year-old Karl Eldrew Yulo is starting to come out of the shadow of his older brother Carlos this year, having swept six gold medals at stake in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa and later snatching seven gold medals in the Batang Pinoy.
Besana will get training assistance from Kugimiya after he finished with a gold medal in the vault exercise event of the Cambodia SEA Games.
Cruz will get the same attention from Kugimiya, after he claimed the floor exercise gold and later joined Carlos in bringing home the team all-around silver.
Carrion does not count out the inclusion of Jan Timbang, who was part of Team Philippines’ silver win in the all-around event.
“They’re next in line. We are making sure that they get the right training,” said Carrion.
The GAP said the coaches of the national team are deciding on the composition of the national squad, which will be sent to the World Cup this year.