Olympic-bound athletes to get priority once COVID-19 vaccine is available -- POC president Tolentino
Congressman and Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino promised to lobby for the Tokyo Olympics-bound Filipino athletes to be in the priority list of recipients once the vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19) becomes available. “Definitely mayroong allocation diyan. Ilalaban natin yun na i-priority natin ‘yung sports because of the Olympics,” said Tolentino in Tuesday during the online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “Sa ngayon wala pang guidelines (on priority) dun but we can lobby for that because of this Olympics.” The representative of the eighth district of Cavite said that once a vaccine is produced those who have already qualified for the Games next year will get their shots. “Actually, kung ibe-base lang natin ‘yan sa number of delegates iilan lang ‘yun. ‘Yung mga nag-qualify, officials at kung sino ang delagates from media (na pupunta),” he said. “Hindi naman natin pababayaaan ang mga atleta natin. Pupunta tayo doon kung mayroon nang vaccine,” he added. “Sigurado ako na mapa-priority ang mga athletes natin going to the Olympics.” Four athletes have already qualified for the Games, which was pushed back to July 23 to August 8 2021 from its original schedule of July 24-August 9 this year because of the pandemic. Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno have earned their tickets to the Games. Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting and Kiyomi Watanabe of judo are expected to qualify once the qualifying tournaments resume early next year. Tolentino is also looking at inclusion the athletes heading to the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in November next year. “Mai-extend ‘yan up to Vietnam SEA Games,” he said. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Eumir Marcial K.O’s Thai foe in Manila duel
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial made easy work against Thai Thoedsak Sinam in his homecoming bout in Manila on Saturday night, March 23, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Marcial, who is bound for the Paris Olympics in July, knocked out Sinam in the fourth round in their eight-rounder non-title bout. With.....»»
Paris Olympic gold remains top priority for Marcial
More than winning his professional fight against Thai boxer Thoedsak Sinam on Saturday, a gold medal in the upcoming Paris Olympics is the bigger goal for Eumir Marcial......»»
Go wants bigger fund for Paris Olympics
Recognizing the importance of the country’s campaign in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Sen. Bong Go said he will help seek additional funding to aid Olympiad-bound athletes in their preparation......»»
N. Korea reopens its borders to citizens living abroad: KCNA
North Korea has moved to further open up from strict pandemic-era isolation, with state media reporting Sunday that citizens living abroad have been allowed to reenter the country. State-run KCNA said that the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters had announced that "citizens abroad have been allowed to return home". "Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week," the report said. It added that the decision had been made "in reference to the eased worldwide pandemic situation." North Korea shut its borders in early 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but there have been increasing signals the country has moved towards reopening. Chinese and Russian officials attended a military parade in Pyongyang last month -- the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country in years. Last week a delegation of athletes was allowed to attend a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan, while state-run Air Koryo made its first international commercial flight in three years. The flight arrived Tuesday morning at Beijing's Capital Airport, with AFP reporters only seeing two North Koreans -- recognizable by their distinctive badges bearing the faces of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il -- come through the arrival gate. Neither spoke to media. Another Air Koryo flight bound for Pyongyang departed just after 1:00 p.m., a tracking website showed. The Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency published photos of a number of North Koreans lining up to check luggage for that flight. Asked about the flights, China's foreign ministry said that it had approved restarting commercial air travel between Beijing and Pyongyang. "During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing on Monday. des/nro © Agence France-Presse The post N. Korea reopens its borders to citizens living abroad: KCNA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Filipino Paralympic athletes off to ASEAN meet in Cambodia
More than 250 athletes with disabilities flew to Cambodia on 30 May to participate in the 2023 Paralympic Games to be held 3-9 June 2023. All participating athletes were onboard a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at NAIA Terminal 1. The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-parasport event governed by the International Paralympic Committee. The 2023 ASEAN Paralympic Games, officially known as the 12th ASEAN Para Games and commonly known as Cambodia 2023, are a biennial multi-sports event for Southeast Asian athletes with disabilities. This is the first time Cambodia is hosting the ASEAN Paralympic Games. The post Filipino Paralympic athletes off to ASEAN meet in Cambodia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Immigration sounds trafficking alarm
The Bureau of Immigration on Saturday warned traffickers not to exploit international events to exploit trafficking victims. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that events such as sports and gaming competitions, as well as musical concerts may be used by traffickers to attempt to circumvent strict departure formalities. Tansingco added that in the past, the bureau has recorded victims who claimed they were set to join beauty pageants and shows, only to find out that they were being trafficked abroad. This reminder comes after a letter from the Department of Justice to the Philippine Sports Commission requesting that the latter provide adequate warning to athletes, supporters, and attendees of the Southeast Asian games of the risks of trafficking in Cambodia. The DoJ likewise requested that the PSC issue official endorsements that would aid immigration officers in establishing spectators’ declared purpose of travel and in identifying potentially trafficked or illegally recruited persons. The SEA Games are currently being held in Cambodia from 5 to 17 May. It can be recalled that the BI sounded the alarm on the increase of trafficked Filipinos in Cambodia due to a cryptocurrency and call center scam targeting young urban professionals. The BI chief assured the DoJ that they would continuously monitor all departing passengers and that those who would be traveling for legitimate purposes had no need to worry. They are sending a warning to illegal recruiters not to abuse international events, as the Bureau remains on the lookout to prevent victims from being trafficked. Meanwhile, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, 10 female sex workers were rescued from trafficking abroad. According to the report of BI officials at NAIA Terminal 3, the 10 Filipinos were rescued when they attempted to depart illegally for Singapore as sex workers. Commissioner Tansingco shared that the 10 females, all aged 20 to early 30s, were intercepted on Friday afternoon (5 May) after attempting to board their flight via Cebu Pacific bound for Singapore. Tansingco said that earlier this month, they received information from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking that these women were being trafficked abroad and were recruited as entertainers but would end up as sex workers. Upon receiving the information, he immediately ordered them to include the said group in their monitoring records to be able to intercept them. The BI chief added that after including the information from IACAT on their records, his office also received information from the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the women, further validating their doubts about their actual purpose of travel. During the secondary inspection, the intercepted women claimed that they were traveling as tourists with friends. However, closer inspection of their records revealed valid working permits as entertainers in Singapore. According to the 10 victims, they were allegedly recruited separately online through Facebook Messenger to work at a pub in Singapore. They were offered a salary of P40,000 per month, with deductions for their travel expenses for six months. Tansingco also said that this is a clear example of debt bondage, a tactic in trafficking wherein victims are made to pay the expenses for the recruitment. These expenses pile up, and they end up being forced to work to pay their debt. The Bureau then hailed the role of coordination among different government agencies in the interception. A multi-agency approach is needed in the fight against trafficking. Coordination with government agencies in gathering information and intercepting trafficking victims is necessary for us to be able to stop this illegal activity. All 10 victims were turned over to the IACAT for assistance in filing cases against their recruiters. The post Immigration sounds trafficking alarm appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
`Compete with all your heart,’ Go tells SEA Games-bound athletes
On Monday, 24 April, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his full support for Filipino athletes competing in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia as he attended their send-off ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The event was led by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who encouraged the Filipino athletes to go for the gold and bring back the Philippines' number one spot in the Games. In an interview during the event, Go, as chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and a sports enthusiast himself, said he understands the value of sports in the lives of young Filipinos. "Nandirito po ako to support. Being a sports enthusiast, noon pa talagang mahilig na po ako sa sports," said Go. "And that’s one way of encouraging the youth to get into sports and stay away from drugs. Isa po ito sa pamamaraan na ilayo po natin ang ating mga kabataan sa iligal na droga. Get into sports, stay away from drugs, and keep them healthy and fit," he added. To help in this cause, Go shared that he sponsored and defended additional funding for the Philippine Sports Commission during its 2023 budget deliberation, particularly for grassroots sports development and in support of athletes joining international competitions. "Gaya noon, full support po ako sa ating mga atleta. Not only sa SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympics, full support po ako," he said. Go continued, "In fact, during the budget deliberation, ang budget po ng PSC less than P200 million. Ako po ‘yung nag-defend at nag-suggest ng dagdag sa pondo nila." "Nagdagdag po tayo ng P1 billion sa budget ng PSC including budget na po para sa Southeast Asian Games, sa iba pang mga grassroots program, not only sa international competition, pati sa local," he added. Particularly, the increase in the PSC's 2023 budget reflected in the General Appropriations Act is intended to support Filipino athletes in the 2022 Asian Games, 2023 Southeast Asian Games, and 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Furthermore, athletes competing in the ASEAN Para Games, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, World Combat Games, World Beach Games, Asian Beach Games, and World Beach Games will receive similar support. Portions of the funds were allotted for the country's hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 as well as for several sports programs, such as Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games, and the grassroots program under the Sports Development Council. There are also funds allocated for the development of sports infrastructure across the country, as well as for advanced research and development in sports sciences and sports technology. When asked about his message to the athletes, Go echoed Marcos' words of encouragement, "Sinabi na rin po ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos kanina, 'Go, go, go for the gold.' Ibig sabihin sana magtsa-champion po tayo. Ibalik natin ‘yung pagiging No.1 natin." Go reminded the athletes that the important thing is to fight and compete with all their hearts, as Filipinos are known for their passion and perseverance. Around 860 Filipino athletes, 76 reserved players, and 347 sports officials, medical personnel, and support staff will travel to Cambodia to compete in 608 events across 38 sports categories from 5-17 May. With the impressive performance of Filipino athletes in the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, where they brought home 227 medals, including 52 gold, 70 silver, and 105 bronze, the Philippines is poised to once again make a strong showing in the upcoming games. In the 2019 SEA Games, the Philippines hosted the event and emerged as the overall champion with 149 gold medals, 117 silver medals, and 121 bronze medals. The National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, or Republic Act No. 10699, entitles SEA Games gold medalists to a P300,000 incentive, silver medalists to P150,000, and bronze medalists to P60,000. During the Duterte administration, Go advocated for additional benefits to medalists. An advocate for grassroots sports development, Go earlier authored and co-sponsored RA 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports in 2020 as part of his vision to ensure promising young athletes can further hone their talents while getting quality education. The NAS is a government-run academy aimed at developing the country’s future athletes by offering quality secondary education with a special curriculum on sports for gifted young Filipinos who want to enhance their physical and mental capabilities in sports. The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 423, or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development The post `Compete with all your heart,’ Go tells SEA Games-bound athletes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Team Philippines off to SEA Games in Cambodia
President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on Monday led the send-off ceremony for Team Philippines bound for the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The Philippine delegation is composed of 840 athletes and 300 coaches. Among the government officials who joined the president in sending off the athletes are Representative Faustino Michael Carlos T. Dy, chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports; Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports; Philippine Fencing Association president Richard Gomez; Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee; and Richard E. Bachmann, chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission. [caption id="attachment_123590" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] (Photo for Daily Tribune: Yummie Dingding)[/caption] The 32nd edition of the bienial multi-sport event is taking place on 5-17 May, with Cambodia as first-time host. Eleven nations will compete in 581 events: 304 men’s events, 229 women’s events and 48 mixed, plus a demonstration sport. Among the competing nations are Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. [caption id="attachment_123589" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] (Photo for Daily Tribune by Yummie Dingding)[/caption] The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place in Phnom Penh on Friday, 5 May, but some competitions will already start on Saturday, 29 April. The post Team Philippines off to SEA Games in Cambodia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PH 144-man athletic roster finalized for 11th Asean Para Games
MANILA - Raring and eager to spring into action, 144 athletes in 11 sports aim to make the flag and country proud in the 11th Asean Para Games scheduled from July 30 to Aug. 6 in Surakarta, Indonesia.The list of the national squad bound for Indonesia was finalized last weekend, Philippine Pa.....»»
PH athletes join virtual seminar on Anti-Doping Regulations
The Philippine Sports Commission-Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization, in collaboration with the Philippine Olympic Committee, recently conducted a virtual seminar on Anti-Doping Regulations for Tokyo Olympiad bound Team Philippines......»»
Olympic-bound para-athletes suportado ng PSC
MANILA, Philippines – Iginiit ni Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Arnold Agustin at In-Charge sa Para athletes na bahagi ng programa ng ahensiya ang mga magigiting na para-athletes na nakatatanggap ng suportang pinansiyal na kapantay ng mga regular na miyembro ng Philippine Team. Ibinida sa TOPS Usapang Sports on Air ni Agustin na nagkakaisa umano […] The post Olympic-bound para-athletes suportado ng PSC appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
Obiena ties for gold in Germany tiff to assert Olympics readiness
Tokyo Olympics-bound pole vault star EJ Obiena topped the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany Sunday night as he continued to ramp up his training with the quadrennial event just less than a month away......»»
Obiena, Olympic champ share top honors in Germany
Tokyo Olympics-bound Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and training partner Olympic champ Thiago Braz of Brazil shared the top honors Sunday in the True Athletes Classics in Leverkusen, Germany......»»
Athletes based abroad to get vaccines in host countries
The country’s Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes training abroad will get their anti-COVID-19 vaccines in their host countries, according to Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino......»»
Guidelines for training of SEAG athletes set
The Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-0001 on Sports has issued supplemental guidelines for the conduct of bubble training of Philippine Team-bound for 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam......»»
National athletes set for 2nd round of COVID-19 vaccination
The government has approved the inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines on all athletes other than those bound for the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games......»»
Olympic-bound rower Cris Nievarez leads over 700 athletes in getting COVID-19 jabs
Nievarez, who received his jab at the Manila Prince Hotel in Ermita, thus joined boxer Eumir Marcial and 2016 weightlifting Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz as among Olympians who already got inoculated......»»
Athletes, coaches get first vaccine shot vs Covid
By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA Several national athletes, coaches and officials bound to the Tokyo Olympics and the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games got their first vaccine shot against COVID-19 on Friday, May 28, at the Manila Prince Hotel. Some 730 delegates registered for the one-day proceedings with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Bambol Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commissioner […].....»»
Vaccination of Filipino athletes begins Friday
Vaccination of Filipino athletes bound for both the Tokyo Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam will start on Friday......»»
Final swing for Olympic hopefuls
Filipino athletes are bound for various destinations in the next few days in the homestretch of the chase for Olympic berths......»»