PSC rues training delay

We will still be waiting for the training protocols of the NSA

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) expressed regret over the fresh delay in the training of athletes vying for slots in the Tokyo Olympics.

Commissioner Ramon Fernandez said the imposition of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila is such a massive blow as it pushed back their training program anew with barely a year left before the Summer Games next year.

The PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) have been plotting for the restart of the Olympic program.

In fact, Fernandez and POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino already met to discuss a training program where Olympic hopefuls will be housed in government sports facilities to make sure that they will be safe from the coronavirus.

But with the number of infections spiking, President Rodrigo Duterte imposed an MECQ, where the only allowed sports and physical activities are walking, running, jogging and biking.

Aside from Metro Manila, also under MECQ are Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

“We can’t do anything right now. There will be no movement. We’re in status quo,” Fernandez said, adding that they are also waiting for the approval of their training budget by the national government that would be included in the second version of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.

We can’t do anything right now.

“As I’ve said, we are still waiting for the budget and the COVID-19 cases are continuously increasing so things are not really going well.”

Fernandez admitted that they couldn’t come up with a timeline as everything depends on the country’s recovery from the massive health crisis that already has more than 112,000 cases in the country.

Still, Fernandez said national sports associations (NSA) looking to send athletes to the Olympics must send their training protocols to both the PSC and the POC.

“We will still be waiting for the training protocols of the NSA,” Fernandez said, urging athletes to resume their home workouts.

“The athletes will have to stay at home. We need to think about survival first. We will now be dependent on how this COVID-19 situation will go.”