Inspiring victories

All the problems we are encountering in the SEA Games will be wiped out because this will inspire us.

CARLOS Yulo’s victorious performance in the world championships is set to inspire Filipino athletes. JAT TENORIO

The golden performance of gymnast Caloy Yulo and boxer Nesthy Petecio over the weekend could serve as inspiration for other Filipino athletes to come up with a winning streak in the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez took pride of their excellence in the world stage and once again reiterated the sports agency’s unwavering support to the athletes who want to bring honor to the country.

“This is a good sign for us. All the problems we are encountering in the SEA Games will be wiped out because this will inspire us,” said Ramirez, who is also the chief of mission in the 11-nation conclave.

“Let’s now look at the positive things in our preparation for the SEA Games. Those negative things, let’s forget that and just look for the positive for us to be champions,” he added.

Yulo was the first to rock Philippine sports late Saturday after winning the gold medal in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships floor exercise final in Stuttgart, Germany and less than 24 hours later, Petecio cornered the gold medal in the featherweight division of the International Boxing Association Women’s Boxing World Championship in Russia last Sunday.

The 19-year Yulo will receive a total of P1 million incentive — P500,000 from the Republic Act 10699 or the Expanded Incentives Act and additional P500,000 from the PSC for becoming the first Filipino gymnast to win a gold in the world stage.

The 27-year old Petecio will also get P1 million as her event in Russia is a biennial meet and drew 45 or more countries.

Ramirez said their feat made the PSC to look for a bigger Philippine contingent in next year’s Summer Games in Tokyo.

“We maybe looking at 11 athletes who will qualify and, after the SEA Games in six months, there might be more. Possibly, we will have 20 and it could be our biggest contingent in the Olympics. We’ll never know,” Ramirez said.

So far, Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena have secured their spots in the Olympic Games while the PSC is not losing hope on Petecio, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, boxer Eumir Marcial, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and two athletes via universality rule.

Golfers Yuka Saso and Angelo Que, taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez and judoka Shugen Nakano are also in the mix for possible Olympic berths.

“We’ve been funding these athletes and we have no regret funding them even if we go over our budget,” Ramirez said.

“That’s why we in the PSC, eight months before the Olympics, we will be all out in supporting the athletes who have a good chance of qualifying. If there’s an NSA which has the potential to qualify, we will support them,” he added.

Aside from Yulo and Petecio, Marcial will also receive P500,000 cash incentive from the PSC for his silver medal in Russia.