Thursday, April 12, 2007 Bent on ‘going Under’ By Elisabeth Baumgart STC Media Comm Intern
EVEN if he will not be able to go to the Arafura Games in Australia for free, Paralympics star Arnold Balais will find another way of getting there.
“There’s still no feedback if I’ll be sponsored or not,” said Balais. “All I know, there’s an allowance. If there’s no sponsor, we’ll try to find others—a plan B.”
Balais was included in Greater Cebu Sports Organizing Committee (GCSOC) list of athletes just last January. The paralympian has regularly donned the Philippine colors in international competitions. He joined the Far East Asian South Pacific Games last year, when he competed in the 100m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Visa
On the other hand, tennis prodigy Sally Mae Siso’s trip to Arafura is still on the go according to her mother Sally.
“Nobody said that she won’t push through. In fact, her visa is being processed right now. She’ll still go to the games,” Sally said.
Sally Mae and Balais are only two of the 25 athletes whose trip was supposed to be sponsored by GCSOC.
The delegation only needs to worry about their airfare and pocket money since they will be staying with the Filipino community in Australia during the games.
Sally Mae’s stint in the biennial games is an incentive for her impressive showing in the Malaysian Junior Tennis Circuit last year, where she swept the four singles events and took two doubles gold. Aside from Arafura, Sallymae will represent the Philippines in a tournament in India on April 21.
Incentive
According to GCSOC founder Jonathan Guardo, their group’s executive director Allan Torrevillas already has the final list of players whose trip abroad will be sponsored.
“He’s the one in charge of that (Arafura) because I’ve been busy,” said Guardo, who is not sure whether Sally Mae and Balais are included in the list.
Sun.Star tried but failed to reach Torrevillas for an interview yesteday.
Should Siso and Balais make it to Arafura, they will join some 20 other athletes of GCSOC in the biennial games.
The athletes, who were not assured of a free trip, managed to raise their own funds for their ticket since the group announced its plan to join the Arafura Games last year.
