Sports officials to tackle training resumption of Tokyo Olympic bets

MANILA, Philippines – Top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission will go into online discussion Wednesday to facilitate the resumption of training of Tokyo-bound athletes and other Olympic hopefuls.

“Yes, we will talk about it,” POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino told The STAR on Tuesday.

Philippine Sports Commission officer-in-charge Ramon Fernandez is optimistic the Inter-Agency Task Force may soon officially allow the return to training of the likes of boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno, who have both booked spots at Tokyo, and other national athletes with realistic chances of making the Olympic cut.

The meeting will focus on the protocols to be observed and the potential venues they will use for training.

“Of course, all must observe strict health protocols for everyone’s safety,” said Fernandez.

The other two Olympic qualifiers, gymnast Caloy Yulo and pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, have actually started their preparations since both were already training in Japan and Italy, respectively, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Hidilyn Diaz, the 2016 Rio weightlifting silver medalist, has yet to qualify but was stranded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she continuously trains.

Among those expected to be given training exceptions are 2016 Rio weightlifting silver medalist pug Nesthy Petecio, skateboarder Margie Didal, taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez and karateka Junna Tsukii.

Meanwhile, Fernandez said they have lent 100 laptops to government that will be used at the airports’ COVID-19 testing facilities.

Fernandez also said they may also donate the rest of the 500 laptops used in last December’s Southeast Asian Games to the Department of Education for use by public school students and teachers.

Fernandez also reported that all its employees who manned the frontlines tested negative for the global health malady.