First Gent, NSAs to plot SEAG bid

The Philippine Sports Commission’s bid for funding support for national athletes in preparation for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games gained a big boost with support from First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

Arroyo, through PSC chairman Eric Buhain, has extended an invitation to officials of the various national sports associations (NSAs) to a luncheon meeting on Friday at the Century Seafood Restaurant in Manila to discuss the 23rd SEA Games the country will be hosting next year.

"The First Gentleman has requested for the talks with various NSAs to discuss and assess the country’s chances of wresting the overall crown in the SEA Games," said Buhain. "Atty. Arroyo wants to be appraised of what it would take to fully prepare and gear up our flag bearers for the Games and has instructed the First Gentleman Foundation to assist and support the athletes training and preparation."

In the meeting, NSAs will be requested to give their respective gold medal haul projection in the SEAG and subsequently, present their position to achieve the goal.

Buhain has already declared that the country would need to win about 120 gold medals to grab the overall championship in 2005. The Philippines last hosted the Games in 1991 where it landed second by a mere gold behind Indonesia, the country’s finest performance to date in the biennial joust, with 91 golds, 82 silvers and 85 bronzes.

Just recently, Arroyo turned over to Buhain P5 million donation as seed money for the buildup of national athletes for the SEA Games, which the PSC chief described as "truly inspiring."

Last year, the "Medalyang Ginto, May Laban Tayo!" fund-raiser was initiated by the First Gentleman for Filipino athletes competing in the Vietnam SEAG, which breached P22 million during a pledging session at the Malacañang Palace.

The additional fund coming from the country’s various top corporations was spent for the athletes’ buildup for the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh games last Dec. 5-13, while expenses for the actual participation in the meet totaling P100 million came from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s fund.