VACCINES BOOST TO PHL ATHLETES

THE inoculation of medical frontliners that has been going on since last week is a confidence booster for the country’s athletes and coaches who will vie in two major competitions later this year, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

“As we see the steady arrival of the vaccines one after the other, we expect the rest of the vaccines to follow,” Tolentino told Businessmirror on Monday. “Although the priority is the country’s frontliners, it’s also good naturally for the morale of our people, including our national athletes.”

As of Monday, Presidential Spokesman Atty. Harry Roque Jr. said that a total of 4,128 frontliners—doctors, nurses, police and soldiers, among others—have been vaccinated in 186 vaccine sites.

Tolentino said athletes bound for the Tokyo Olympics are expected to be inoculated courtesy of business tycoon Enrique Razon who helped acquired 20 million doses of Moderna vaccines by June.

“It’s already in the bag, so probably by June our athletes will receive the vaccines,” he added.

The congressman from Cavite’s eighth district said he is willing to get the vaccine.

“Yes of course,” he said.

Tolentino, meanwhile, will be submitting the Philippine delegation’s entry by numbers for the Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez on Tuesday.

“Once we submit the list, the PSC can already allocate the budget,” he said.

PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, chef de mission to the Vietnam SEA Games, said is is hoping athletes and coaches bound for the SEA Games will be vaccinated in May or June to allow a smooth flow in their training and preparation.

“I am hoping our Olympic-bound athletes will be prioritized first then our SEA Games athletes by May or June for them to have at least six months of

preparation and training,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez also said that once they got an approval from the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the training for SEA Games-bound athletes and coaches will commence on April 15 in the New Clark City, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Philsports Arena

The Tokyo Olympics are set from July 23 to August 8, while the SEA Games are scheduled from November 21 to December 2.