MANILA, Philippines — The sport of gymnastics, which has not had a respectable performance in many years, has asked for an outlay of nearly P50 million for the current fiscal year, dwarfing all others as the Philippine Sports Commission released on Tuesday the official figures submitted by national sports associations for their 2011 sporting campaigns.

The canoe-kayak federation, whose participation in the last Asian Games was scuttled at the last-minute owing to budget constraints, submitted the next biggest request, a total of P48,191,750.

In all, 39 sports associations collectively asked the PSC P455 million for the current fiscal year, a budget that staggered the cash-strapped PSC which had generously set aside P400 million for the NSAs as the country gears up for the Southeast Asian Games.

Last year, an Asian games year, NSAs got a total of P125 million.

Of the 39 NSAs which submitted budgets, swimming and boxing, two associations whose yearly allocations also run into several millions, have still to submit their request, practically assuring that the total is likely to exceed P500 million.

When the PSC asked the NSAs to submit budgets, it apparently did not expect each to go for the maximum or for the moon, as evidenced by the list.

For instance, even a non-SEA Games, non-Asiad, non-Olympic association which promote and holds motorcycling races has joined the fray and requested a budget of P26,140,000, eclipsing by several millions such established sports as golf, track and field, bowling, cycling and football, among many others.

“Many of these sports don’t even have athletes,” said Asian Games chief of mission Joey Romasanta.

Romasanta has asked NSA leaders to trim down their budget requests to a more manageable level.
 
Interestingly, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), which produced a gold, silver and bronze in the2010 Asian Games, has yet to submit its budget proposal.

Swimming has also yet to inform the PSC about its budget request.

Also submitting high figures include shooting (P24,611,251) and lawn tennis (P21,965,000).
 
The most frugal is lawn bowls, which is only asking P1.753 million, but even that amount would be excessive for a sport thatis unknown to most Filipinos.

High-profile NSAs like basketball (women) and football are aiming for P18,195,000 and P10,888,000, respectively.

Women’s basketball and even the men’s and boxing are mainly supported by PLDT-Smart of telecom tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan.

The lion’s share of gymnastics’ expenses will be on foreign exposure (P17,500,000) and allowances (P12,700,000), while canoe-kayak is leaning heavily on the purchase of equipment (P20,343,000) that is why the amount has snowballed.

It was the POC which instructed its members to come up with their budget proposals as it plans to start the preparations for the SEAG in motion by March.