Olympic aspirants resume training

FILIPINO Olympic aspirants are hopeful that they would be able to continue with their preparations this week after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) gave the green light for their bubble training inside the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

“The bubble training we are going to do will start this week to really prepare for the Tokyo Olympics,” said PBA legend and Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez in his appearance on the “Power and Play” program.

The Tokyo Olympics was supposed to be staged last year but got shelved because of the global health crisis. However, the International Olympic Committee has set firm dates for the delayed Tokyo Olympics, which are now set to start in July 2021. Still, with the new Covid-19 strain emerging, Fernandez has his apprehensions about the staging of the sporting event.

“We are hoping, of course, that it will push through. But then again, we are facing what they may say is the second wave of the virus, which is the UK strain. So that will pose another problem,” said Fernandez.

“I hope the World Health Organization and the different countries affected by it would be really able to curb that surge again. We’re hoping that it won’t enter our country,” said Fernandez.

To date, four Filipino athletes have already booked their spots in the Tokyo Olympics. These are boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno, gymnast Caloy Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena. Several more are targeting tickets to the Olympics and these are Olympic silver medal winner Hidilyn Diaz, golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Yuka Saso, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and several others.

Fernandez also said that he is hoping that the Philippines can have a contingent composed of 15 athletes.