MORE THAN SIMPLY sending off athletes, Philippine sports officials challenged Team Pilipinas to come home from Aichi-Nagoya with more gold medals than the country has won in its last two Asian Games appearances.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio said the immediate target is to go beyond the Philippines’ four-gold output in both the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and the 2022 Hangzhou edition.
The challenge was laid down on Thursday during the official send-off of the 464-member Philippine delegation, which will compete in the 20th Asian Games in Japan beginning Sept. 19.
During the ceremony at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino also delivered his own message to the athletes in characteristically direct fashion.
“Itodo nyo na ang laban,” Tolentino averred, urging Team Pilipinas to make the most of its opportunity on Asia’s biggest multisport stage.
The Philippines will rely on a mix of established champions, international campaigners and emerging talents as it tries to improve its medal performance.
Among the country’s major gold prospects are Olympic gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo, pole vault star EJ Obiena, tennis standout Alex Eala, weightlifting bet Elreen Ando and the national boxing squad.
For some athletes, the Games offer another chance to convert years of preparation into an Asian Games title.
For others, the Aichi-Nagoya Asiad could provide the breakthrough needed to establish themselves among the continent’s best.
The government is also providing additional support to the delegation.
Officials announced an extra PHP6,000 allowance for each competing athlete and coach, giving members of the team another boost ahead of the competition.
Substantial Rewards
Medalists also stand to receive substantial rewards under Republic Act No. 10699.
Individual Asian Games champions are entitled to PHP2 million for gold, PHP1 million for silver and PHP400,000 for bronze.
Those incentives could increase if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. again grants additional rewards to the medalists, as he did following the Philippines’ campaign in Hangzhou.
Tolentino, meanwhile, joined PSC officials and other sports leaders in reminding the delegation that the government’s support must ultimately be matched by performance when the competition starts.
The send-off was led jointly by the POC and PSC, with POC Secretary General Atty. Wharton Chan among the officials who joined Tolentino and Gregorio.
Now the ceremonies are over and the countdown to competition begins.
For Team Pilipinas, the mission is no longer about preparation or expectations.
It is about turning those expectations into medals—and, if possible, exceeding the four-gold benchmark.
As Tolentino put it: “Itodo nyo na ang laban.”
