Filipino Olympians to receive P500,000 each

EVERY Filipino athlete who didn’t win a medal in the Tokyo Olympics will not be going home empty-handed as they would be given an incentive of P500,000 each.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President representative Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino made the announcement on Thursday morning, August 5.

“The non-medalists in the Tokyo Olympics will receive incentives of P500,000 each,” said Tolentino as the Philippine medal campaign boiled down to boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Carlo Paalam and golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Yuka Saso on Thursday morning.

The POC and the MVP Sports Foundation of business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan would be giving the reward to the non-medalists of the Philippine delegation.

Set to receive the incentive are rowing’s Cris Nievarez, taekwondo’s Kurt Barbosa, skateboarding’s Margielyn Didal, shooting’s Jayson Valdez, gymnastics’ Carlos Yulo, boxing’s Irish Magno, judo’s Kiyomi Watanabe, weightlifting’s Elreen Ando, golf’s Juvic Pagunsan, athletics’ EJ Obiena (pole vault), and Kristina Knott (200m) and swimming’s Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie.

“Everyone on Team Philippines in these ‘Golden Olympics’ deserve all the praises, and in this case, incentives, they need,” Tolentino said. “Qualifying for the Olympics is already that difficult, what more competing in the Games themselves.

Hidilyn Diaz won the country’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s weightlifting, while Nesthy Petecion clinched a silver in women’s boxing.

Marcial and Paalam are guaranteed of a bronze medal each while Pagdanganan and Saso stayed within striking distance in women’s golf as of Thursday morning. (JNP)