MANILA, Philippines – Bring home more medals.
This was the marching order given by no less than President Bong Bong Marcos himself to Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino as the country braces for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“The President wants more medals in Paris,” said the mayor from Tagaytay after yesterday’s last POC general assembly at the East Ocean Seafoods restaurant in Paranaque.
“And that’s an order we would more than happily want to accomplish,” added the PhilCycling chief.
Tolentino said the Chief Executive knew of the exploits of lifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, who delivered the country its breakthrough Olympic gold medal as well as the pair of silver and a bronze by boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial, respectively, in last year’s Tokyo Games.
It was the most successful campaign by the country in the quadrennial meet that Marcos is hoping to surpass.
“I just told the President that we delivered a lot of Olympic medals during the past administration, and he replied that it’s not enough and he wants more,” said Tolentino. “So I answered ‘Yes Mr. President, we’ll do more in the Paris Olympics.’”
At present, Tolentino is eyeing to qualify a minimum of 12 or more than 19 athletes the country sent in Tokyo last time.
Tolentino’s optimism was coming from his belief that it worked because of the good relationship of the POC and the government through its sporting arm, the Philippine Sports Commission.
“That’s the secret, our relationship with the PSC is getting better and better,” he said.