FREE ATHLETES FROM POLITICS – MARCOS

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appealed to local sports officials and stakeholders not to drag athletes into partisan politics that could affect their training and performance.

The former senator on Wednesday said full government and private sector support “is key to the success of our athletes in international competitions.”

Marcos, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard bearer, said it is time to “free” Filipino athletes from politics.

“If we want to move forward, we need to fix the system. Kung minsan kasi, na pulitika ang sports eh (Sometimes, sports is being politicized),” he said in a statement.

“The only thing that the athlete should think about is to train and to be strong,” Marcos said in Filipino. “That’s the only way to win championships, and the only way to win tournaments is to be very professional about their craft.”

Marcos was reacting to the decision of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) to remove the country’s top pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena from the national team.

Obiena, the third best pole vaulter in the world, was accused by Patafa of misappropriating his training allowance.

Obiena found an ally with the Philippine Olympic Committee which declared Patafa President Philip Ella Juico persona non grata for allegedly harassing the athlete instead of supporting him.

Marcos vowed to fully support the country’s sports programs if he and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio are elected in this year’s elections.

He also lauded Filipino athletes. “It is about time to give them the country’s undivided backing and commitment,” he said.