Philippine athletes puwedeng makinabang sa 2019 SEA Games hosting

MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ni Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero sa Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) na samantalahin ang pagkakataon sa pagho-host ng 30th Southeast Asian Games sa 2019 para lumakas ang tsansa ng mga Filipino athletes na mag-qualify at magtagumpay sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“We should start planning now. Stakeholders have done their parts for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It’s now up to the athletes and the national sports associations to make it to the 2016 Games,” sabi ni Escudero. “But we have time to prepare for 2019 and 2020. It’s no longer a long-term program but it could be our chance to win medals in the Summer Games-- hopefully a gold medal or two. Why not dream and chase it? All of us should work for it.”

Napaaga ang toka ng Philippines sa pagho-host ng SEA Games matapos umatras ang Brunei para maging punong abala sa 2019. Ang lahat ng SEA Games member countries ay sunud-sunod na nagho-host ng event ngunit sinabi ng Brunei na hindi pa sila handang mag-host dahil wala pa silang malalaking pasilidad para mag-host ng napakara-ming events.

Inalok ito sa Philippines at tinalo nila ang ibang bidders kabilang ang Thailand.

Nakapag-host na ang Philippines ng SEA Games noong 1981, 1991 at 2005 kung saan nanalo ang mga Pinoy athletes ng overall championship.

“We can hit two targets with one stone. We could train our athletes for the two big sporting events and possibly win back the overall championship of the SEA Games in 2019. Our athletes can then continue training until they peak for the 2020 Tokyo Games and we can cross our fingers, our most awaited Olympic gold medal would come from Japan,” ani Escudero.

Sinabi pa ni Escudero na puwedeng mamuhunan ang mga NSAs sa mga batang athletes ngayon at hasain ang mga ito sa maraming foreign exposures at pagkuha ng competent coaches.