Carlos Yulo is thrilled to see his old training ground — the gymnastics hall inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex — get world-class equipment that can help in the preparation of young athletes for various international events.

In a news briefing following the formal turnover of the equipment on Friday, the two-time world champion said he is glad to see his fellow gymnasts, especially the rising stars, enjoy the luxury of having world-class equipment.

The gymnastics hall at the RMSC now houses P7-million worth of equipment that can be used by grassroots athletes, including Yulo’s siblings Karl Eldrew and Elaiza.

Yulo and other elite athletes, for their part, can still train with all the latest equipment in their brand-new facility in Intramuros in Manila.

“I’m happy and thankful as this will definitely give a lot of opportunities for the next generation of athletes because we didn’t have this back then,” said Yulo, who used to train with worn-out equipment before flying to Japan for more serious workout in 2016.

“But equipment alone won’t make you better instantly. It still depends on the guidance of coaches and discipline of the athletes.”

Aside from Yulo, also gracing the turnover ceremony of gymnastics equipment were Gymnastics Association of the Philippines chief Cynthia Carrion, Philippine Sports commissioner Walter Torres, Japan Gymnastics Association secretary general Nashimura Kenji, Japanese ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhito, Philippine Olympic Committee deputy secretary general Carl Sambrano and MVP Sports Foundation executive director Jude Turcuato.

Yulo arrived in the country last Wednesday with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya after winning his two gold medals in the third leg of the FIG World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan last 1 to 4 March.

He will fly to Japan on 27 March to continue his training for the fourth and final leg of the World Cup, which will take place in Cairo from 27 to 30 April.