FRESH from winning his gold medal in the Laos Southeast Asian Games, Ifugao wrestler Jason Balabal is set to receive a monthly subsidy for his training for the 16th Asian Games set this November in Guangzhou, China.
The Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) in its news website said it has secured a "godfather" to boost its preparations for upcoming Asian games and has pledged to give WAP a monthly subsidy of P50,000 for the training of 22-year-old Balabal.
Aside from Balabal, another wrestler in Margarito Anganga, will also get a subsidy of an undisclosed amount for his training abroad.
Both wrestlers were reportedly not part of the budget for the Philippine contingent during the Laos trip but where able to produce three gold medals, two silvers and four bronzes during the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG).
The entry of the private sector is timely for WAP since the association does not expect the PSC to fund any of their programs after its officials sued chairman Harry Angping for graft at the Office of the Ombudsman last year.
In filing the graft case, WAP executives accused the PSC of not honoring its commitment to help fund the Asian Junior Wrestling Championships, which the country hosted last year.
The WAP intends to take advantage of the monthly subsidies to further hone the skills of Balabal and Angana, who are both shoo-ins to the RP team for the November 12 to 27 Asiad.
Extensive trainings in Cuba are in the pipeline for the two Ifugao wrestlers.
If more support from the private sector comes, the association hopes to send at least a 10-man team to the Central American country, which has won gold in Beijing, courtesy of heavyweight Mijain Lopez in the Greco-Roman event. (Roderick Osis)