Ramirez new mission from The President

THERE is hope in Philippine sports.

Not only because Hidilyn Diaz gave us an Olympic silver that shone like gold but, hey, look at this: President Duterte loves sports.

Barely has he warmed up his Palace seat when the President requested our athletes to come see him at Malacañang.

To every athlete, having an audience with a sitting President is an experience of a lifetime.

The rare occasion, of course, had materialized with great effort from chairman Butch Ramirez of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Digong wanted not just to say goodbye but also to wish our athletes well in their difficult mission to do battle on the greatest, grandest, stage of sports.

“I know that you are up against the best in the world,” he had said. “But there is one thing I wish that you would do in Rio: Always give it your best shot at all times.”

Then he gave the athletes a pleasant surprise: Jacking up their allowances from $1,000 to $3,000 each.

Upon the arrival of Hidilyn Diaz, who emerged as the lone medalist in Rio from among our 13 athletes, the President wanted to see her pronto.

Meeting her in his beloved Davao, the President rewarded Hidilyn with more cash incentive.

Undisclosed was the additional amount, but knowing Digong’s legendary generosity, it sure sweetened the pot for the overwhelmed weightlifter.

Already the winner of a law-mandated P5 million for her silver, Hidilyn, when she finally got home to her native Zamboanga City, was oozing with oodles of money she had never imagined would ever come her way.

After Manny Pacquiao himself had tossed in his “humble” share of cash bonus to the Olympic toast—all the more fattening Hidilyn’s bank account—the police saw it fit to provide protection for the silver medalist round-the-clock.

Then an elated Ramirez revealed that the President had given him orders to “unify Philippine sports.”

How? By initiating conciliatory talks among the PSC, National Sports Associations and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

It wouldn’t be easy, of course, given the nature that the POC is nongovernment and always “allergic to government intervention (kuno).”

But knowing Ramirez, the task at hand is doable. And keeping in mind the President’s “give it your best shot” mantra, he’d be on track.