MANILA, Philippines – Three local government units (LGUs), including Tagaytay City where Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino is a Congressman, answered the call to support several sports preparing for the 31st Hanoi Southeast Asian Games in November.
Tolentino on Tuesday said during the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum that he would serve as the godfather of not only cycling where he is the PhilCycling chief but kickboxing as well.
Also offering their service are Mayors Lino Cayetano of Taguig and Arlene Arcillas of Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
“Called some friends who are passionate mayors and Sta. Rosa agreed to host 50 athletes while Taguig’s Lino Cayetano offered to take care of volleyball and table tennis,” said Tolentino. “Tagaytay, of course, will have cycling and possibly kickboxing.”
Several days ago, Philippine SEA Games chef-de-mission Ramon Fernandez sounded the alarm to have godfathers from LGUs outside the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to host bubble training of SEA Games-bound athletes after their facilities in Manila and Pasig remained unavailable due to the spike of COVID-19 cases.
While Sta. Rosa, Taguig and Tagaytay are in the NCR Plus areas that are under MECQ, Tolentino said he would ask for special arrangements from the Inter-Agency Task Force and ask for their approval.
“Those hosting bubble training, sagot nila lahat yung accommodation, food and venue and I’m still talking to other LGUs baka makakuha hanggang dalawa, good na yun,” said Tolentino.
Pangasinan had also arranged a bubble training at the Narciso Ramos Complex for sepak takraw while other LGUs like Ormoc (fencing), Dumaguete (archery) and Zamboanga (weightlifting) have been doing camps for a month or two now.
The country’s top sports officials are targeting July 1 as the start training for SEA Games athletes while Tokyo qualifiers and hopefuls from boxing, taekwondo and karate have been training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna since January.
The SEA Games training was originally penciled on April 15 but was reset due to the global health malady.