ROWING GETS HUGE CHUNK OF EQUIPMENT BUDGET

A total of P378.44 million will be spent for competition equipment as the Philippines plays host to 10 other countries in the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year.

Rowing is requesting the largest share at P39.7 million with wushu asking for P30.9 million as both sports prepare to win a huge chunk of the gold medals in the Philippines’ ambitious quest to win the overall championship.

Shooting has requested P20.9 million for pistol and P17.9 million for shotgun events.

Weightlifting, which boasts Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, will get P20 million, followed by kickboxing (P16.6 million), sepak takraw (P15.4 million), ice skating (P12.4 million) and crowd favorite volleyball (P12.3 million).

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chair William “Butch” Ramirez said that the full amount was already available.

The funds will come from the P5-billion budget set aside for the SEA Games scheduled on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

Philippine wushu is a consistent gold-medal performer in the SEA Games both in the sanda (full-contact) and taolu (forms) disciplines, while Filipino rowers have always had podium finishes since the 2011 edition in Indonesia.

Wushu is eyeing at least half of the 16 gold medals to be staked in the sport.

The PSC is ready to transfer the funds to the Philippine Olympic Committee after the sports agency received the complete master list of competition equipment from the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee.