Marcos to Eala: Take care of athletes

Philippine Sports Commission chairperson Jose Emmanuel "Noli" Eala received a special instruction from President Bongbong Marcos to take care of the national athletes who give pride and glory to the country in the international arena.

Barely two months into office, Eala revealed that the Chief Executive wants him to put premium on the proper nutrition of the athletes as they embark on various international event like the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and the 19th Asian Games in China next year.

Eala said he received the special order during the courtesy call of pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena to President Marcos at the Malacanang Palace last week.

"We had a chance to talk to our President and he issued a very simple instruction: Take care of the athletes," Eala, the uncle of tennis sensation Alex Eala, said.

"He told me to take care of the nutrition of our athletes."

"I think it's a policy direction that perfectly fits the PSC."

In 2021, the PSC, through the Sports Nutrition Unit, started providing nutritional meals for the athletes during their bubble training at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and Philsports Complex.

Right now, the PSC provides meals from breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as morning and afternoon snacks to different national teams.

PSC nutritionists also provide and design specific meal plans for the athletes to ensure that they get optimal nutrition for their training and help them become competition-ready.

They continue to offer daily online consultation and lectures for national athletes and coaches, from their meal plan to other nutritional queries for their training.

The PSC also promotes nutritional awareness among the athletes through their social media postings of pre-competition nutrition, easy-to-make snacks and what it has branded as the "Secret Menu to Success."

In 2019 alone, 34,278 meals were served at the renovated nutrition halls to athletes and coaches in the national pool.

Eala, however, said the Chief Executive wants them to further step up as they shoot for the country's second Olympic gold medal in the Summer Games in Paris next year.

"That's what we will do," Eala said.