Athletes, officials hail POC for SEAG financial incentives

ATHLETES and sports association officials praised the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) for continuously fulfilling its commitment by rewarding medalists in Vietnam 31st Southeast Asian Games.

The SEA Games were staged last May but cash incentives totaling P11.150 million from the POC came in as a mid-year bonus for the 417 athletes who clinched medals— individual and team—in Vietnam.

“The medalists in Hanoi are in for a surprise,” POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Thursday. “Most of these medalists may not know it yet, but once they check their Landbank accounts, they’ll find out about the bonuses from the POC.”

John Derick Farr was unaware that the Poc—through Tolentino’s deputy secretary general for international events, Bones Floro— has already deposited his P10,000 bonus for the bronze medal he clinched in cycling’s men’s downhill.

“I haven’t checked my bank account yet, but I’m thankful to the POC, especially Cong. Bambol, for the bonus,” said Farr, one of three cycling bronze medalists in the Vietnam SEA Games staged last May 12 to 23.

The MVP Sports Foundation of telco tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, San Miguel Corp. of president and CEO Ramon S. Ang and Charlie Gonzales’s Ulticon Builders Inc. were the major benefactors of the bonuses which the POC, under Tolentino, has given to medalist athletes for the second time.

National sports association presidents Tom Carrasco (triathlon) and Ting Ledesma (table tennis) thanked the POC for the bonuses, adding their medalist athletes would be in for a surprise.

“Kim [Mangrobang] and Fernando [Casares] have flown to the US to train and compete and on their behalf, we would like to thank the POC for the bonuses,” Carrasco said.

Mangrobang swept the women’s triathlon and duathlon gold medals in a span of less than 24 hours, while Casares topped men’s triathlon. Their individual gold medals were worth P100,000 each.