Filipino athletes face busy year

Filipino athletes will be busy competing in over 57 days of action in five major international competitions — four regional and one world — this year.

And so are the chiefs of mission in baseball’s Chito Loyzaga, fencing and pentathlon’s Richard Gomez, surfing’s Jose Raul Canlas, wrestling’s Alvin Aguilar and karate’s Ricky Lim.

Loyzaga is the chief of mission to the Cambodia 32nd Southeast Asian Games set from 5 to 17 May, Gomez to the 2nd World Beach Games in Bali from 5 to 12 August, Canlas to the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games from 23 September to 8 October, Aguilar to the World Combat Games in Riyadh from 21 to 30 October and Lim to the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok and Chonburi from 17 to 26 November.

Al Panlilio, meanwhile, begged off as chief of mission to the Paris 2024 Olympics, citing his leadership responsibilities and obligations at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and PLDT and Smart.

“My current leadership roles and ongoing matters in the said organizations may not give me the full capacity for the CDM role,” Panlilio said in his letter to Tolentino.

“In as much as I would be so delighted to accept this assignment, I had to regretfully decline this most prestigious position.”

‘My current leadership roles and ongoing matters in the said organizations may not give me the full capacity for the CDM role.’

Panlilio added: “I will continue to provide support to the POC so that our athletes can replicate or even surpass our great showing at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, but I believe providing help outside of the CDM role should allow the POC a great opportunity to add another helping hand, which would only benefit our athletes further.”

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lamented Panlilio’s decision, saying his leadership and management acumen augurs well as chief of mission for the Paris Olympics, where the POC set the bar higher following the success in the Tokyo 2021 Games.

The POC will announce a replacement for Panlilio next week, just in time for Tolentino flies to the French capital to seal contracts with a training camp facility for qualified Filipino athletes to the Olympics.

There are 49 sports in the Cambodia SEA Games program, 14 in the World Beach Games, 37 in the Hangzhou Asian Games, 15 in the World Combat Games and 32 regular and two demonstration sports in the AIMAG.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PSC PSC chairperson Richard ‘Dickie’ Bachmann visits members of the national water polo team in their training in Philsports Complex in Pasig City on Friday morning. Bachmann assured the athletes of PSC support as they prepare for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.