PHL athletes buckle down to homestretch training

TOkyo—training’s on for members of Team Philippines, most of whom have checked in at the sprawling Olympic Village for the Tokyo Olympics.

Except for the country’s bets in athletics and golf, everyone on the 19-athlete delegation have embarked on their training as of Tuesday, a good three full days before the Olympics opening ceremony.

“Everyone who’s here are already training in their respective training venues,” Team Philippines Chef de Mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta told Businessmirror on Tuesday, adding early-day hitches are being addressed by the organizers, including the distribution and administration of the daily virus tests for the athletes.

“Team Hidilyn [Diaz] is already training, as well as the boxing team,” Araneta said. “There are challenges in bringing the athletes to their training venues, but they are all under control.”

Athletes and delegation members have to follow an activity plan in getting from one venue to another, one of the dozens of protocols to guarantee the safety and health of everyone participating in the Olympics.

US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, according to Araneta, is already in town but preferred to stay in a hotel closer to the golf venue.

“Yuka arrived on Monday and she is staying at the Okura Hotel with his father-coach Masakazu, as well as his coaching team,” Araneta said.

The Kasumigaseki Country Club, which is hosting both the men and women competitions, is a good 70 kms—an over an hour drive from the Olympic Village—prompting Saso’s team to relocate to a hotel.

Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan will also stay at separate hotels near the venue.

There are 60 golfers from at least 36 nations competing in Olympic golf. The men’s contest is set from July 29 to August 2 and the women will follow suit from August 4 to 7.

Mariano also bared that boxer Irish Magno hurt her right ankle while jumping rope on Monday, but thanks to coach Nolito “Boy” Velasco, the injury was immediately contained.

“I immediately iced the injured area and Doc Randy [Molo, team doctor] took a look afterwards and declared Irish to be A-OK,” Velasco said.

Mariano said pole vaulter EJ Obiena is due at the village—a facility located at the Harumi Waterfront District of Tokyo that features 21 residential buildings and 3,800 condos—at noon on Friday, while runner Kristina Knott is staying in a hotel in Nagasaki where the athletics training venue is located.