The Philippine Sports Commission confirmed Tuesday that after meeting with the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Armed Forces of The Philippines it was agreed to renew the tripartite agreement granting detailed service for national athletes.
However, given the crisis at hand, national coaches, Olympic qualifiers and front-runners for an Olympic berth in their respective sports shall be given priority for now.
“We are working with the POC in drawing up the list,” said PSC Acting Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr.
The PSC sought for renewal of the agreement after it expired May this year.
In its letter to the AFP, 78 national athletes and 52 coaches from 19 sports were requested to be detailed to the PSC.
Chief of the AFP Special Service Unit, Col. Rocky Binag, POC Secretary General Atty. Ed Gastanes and PSC’s Iroy and NSA Affairs Head Annie Ruiz discussed the details of the agreement and are hoping to finalize it by mid-August.
Three-time Olympian weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and 2021 Tokyo Olympic-bound boxer Eumir Felix Marcial, who are both enlisted in the Philippine Air Force (PAF), have received green light from the AFP to resume training.
“Ang request kasi ni Eumir at Hidilyn, hanggang 2021 na. Kasama sila sa kino-consider ng AFP na bigyan. The rest, back to mother unit sila,” said Ruiz, referring to the soldier-athletes of the national team who were all recalled to be on active duty with their respective units during the pandemic.
Nineteen sports, namely, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, boxing, baseball, rowing, sailing, sepak takraw, softball, soft tennis, weightlifting, cycling, obstacle sports, muaythai, judo and PHILSPADA athletes from athletics, badminton, table tennis and cycling are among those hoping to be included in the DS order.
