Four months will be enough to get Southeast Asian Games-bound national athletes in proper shape.
SEA Games chef de mission and commissioner Ramon Fernandez of the Philippine Sports Commission said this on Wednesday after inspecting a 180-bed capacity dormitory in Baguio City.
The dormitory is expected to house members of the national team when they get back into training in July.
The facility is located inside the National Teachers’ Camp, which houses the training camp of national athletes. It will be turned over by the Department of Public Works and Highways to the PSC by May.
“We have enough time to prepare. I have talked to POC president Bambol Tolentino about this. The athletes need four months to get back in the right shape,” said Fernandez.
Members of the national contingent, numbering around 560 athletes, are in need of venues to get back into physical training for the SEA Games, which is just seven months away.
At the moment, the the agency’s facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the Philsports Complex in Pasig, are not available as they are still being used as quarantine and isolation centers for COVID-19 patients.
Fernandez said he is in talks with mayor Benjamin Magalong on the availability of many places in Baguio City for national athletes.
Earlier, the cities of Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Taguig and Tagaytay will open their doors and host the final months of training of national athletes, who are seeing action in the biennial meet late this year. Baguio is the fourth local government unit to pitch in.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said he got the commitments of the mayors of these cities to help national athletes train.
Fernandez said because of health and safety protocols, only a limited number of athletes may be allowed in Baguio City as they will still have to look for other venues.
PSC chairman William Ramirez agreed with Fernandez’s idea that national athletes will be able to get in shape of the SEA Games with a four-month training.
Ramirez cited Australia, which needed only a limited time to prepare their national athletes.
“Athletes there usually have work. Kapag malapit na ang competition, that’s when they train. And that’s for some three, four months. Lalo na kapag mature na ang athletes mo, they don’t have to practice the whole year. But then again, those that are in constant practice with their coaches and have foreign exposure have an edge,” said Ramirez.
The City of Sta. Rosa, through mayor Arlene Arcillas, has agreed to take care of the training of around 50 members so the national squad, while Taguig, with the help of Mayor Lino Cayetano, will assist the needs of volleyball and table tennis athletes.
As for Tagaytay City, Mayor Agnes Tolentino and her staff will help out with cycling and kickboxing athletes.
Three weeks ago, board members of the Philippine Sports Commission opened the door to the idea of partnering with LGUs willing to “adopt” teams to train in their areas.
The idea got its inspiration from the successful “bubble” training of the fencing and archery teams in Ormoc and Dumaguete, respectively.