The number has not changed. There are a total of 86 national athletes who can qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo Olympics chef de mission and Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong Araneta said this yesterday at a meeting of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development.
Araneta said this includes 21 athletes who are training abroad, and 65 others who are preparing while under home quarantine in the Philippines.
“Right now 21 athletes are training abroad and 65 athletes training here in the Philippines. So that’s a total of 86 athletes and four have already qualified. So we’re saying that there are still 82 athletes that are training to qualify for the Olympics,” said Araneta.
Araneta said that for those who are in the Philippines they are just waiting for the Philippine Sports Commission to submit to the Interagency Task for the Management of Infectious Diseases the training protocols that will allow the resumption of practice outside their homes.
And this will include the venues and the health protocols that the national sports associations have submitted, according to Araneta.
PSC National Training Director Marc Velasco reported that the PSC is already preparing health protocols.
And they have identified a minimum of six multipurpose venues for this planned training resumption.
Velasco told the lawmakers that Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Dizon also offered to cover the RT-PCR testing of the athletes.
“We are working with POC and the NSAs which would endorse athletes that are going to qualify and will be the only ones allowed to enter Philsports. We would also have support staff, who will also undergo safety protocols like the testing, to assist. They will be inside the Philsports where we also have adequate medical and health facilities,” said Velasco.
The House Committee on Youth and Sports Development congressmen promised their support when the PSC lobbied for an allocation to their Tokyo 2021 budget.
The committee meeting was led by Representative Eric Martinez (2nd district, Valenzuela).
PSC Chairman William Ramirez, who was also present, said the sports agency needs support for its slashed funds to continue funding the training and competitions of Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers and hopefuls vying for slots.
“We were one of those government offices who also contributed to the Bayanihan Act. The DBM (Department of Budget and Management) deducted from us. Para sa amin malaking bagay ‘yun kasi kasama doon ‘yung Olympic budget namin. Hanggang ngayon po bakante ‘yan. It’s an opportunity for us to ask. We need your help,” said Ramirez.