CEBU, Philippines — Cebuana athletes Margielyn Didal (skateboarding), Elreen Ann Ando (weightlifting) and Kiyomi Watanabe (judo) will not go home empty-handed despite not winning medals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the MVP Sports Foundation of business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan will reward the non-medalists from the 19-man Team Philippines in the quadrennial games with cash incentives of P500,000 each.
“The non-medalists in the Tokyo Olympics will receive incentives of P500,000 each,” said POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in a statement.
Aside from Didal, Ando and Watanabe, those who will get monetary reward are rowing’s Cris Nievarez, taekwondo’s Kurt Barbosa, shooting’s Jayson Valdez, gymnastics’ Carlos Yulo, boxing’s Irish Magno, golf’s Juvic Pagunsan, athletics’ EJ Obiena (pole vault), and Kristina Knott (200m) and swimming’s Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie.
“Everyone on Team Philippines in these ‘Golden Olympics’ deserve all the praises, and in this case, incentives, they need,” Tolentino added. “Qualifying for the Olympics is already that difficult, what more competing in the Games themselves.”
In all, Ando will pocket a total of P750,000 as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will be giving an additional P250,000 bonus to Filipino athletes who broke a national record during the prestigious sports conclave that happens only once every four years.
Ando is qualified for the incentive for shattering the country’s mark in the 64kg of women’s weightlifting that catapulted her to a modest seventh place in a rousing Olympics debut.
“Yes, Elreen (Ando) is eligible for the P250,000 incentive, which is already approved by the PSC Board. Not only that, her coach will also receive P125,000,” confirmed PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez. — EBV