ANGPING

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping announced on Tuesday that P100,000 more will be given to each gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games in Laos, bringing to P300,000 the total amount each athlete will receive for the feat.

Angping made the announcement during a free-wheeling PSA Forum during which he also sought a dialogue with the Philippine Olympic Committee and refuted accusations of malversation of funds from the Wrestling Association of the Philippines which he said owed the PSC millions of pesos.

Angping disclosed that he has raised P4 million from the private sector to cover additional incentives for the gold winners in Laos which, before Tuesday, was pegged at P200,000.

Under Republic Act 9074, a SEA Games gold medalists gets P100,000. The PSC doubled this by granting an additional P100,000 and added another P100,000 after tapping the private sector.

The new incentives, however, cover only gold medalists. But Angping said he plans to raise P6 million more from the private sector so incentives will include silver and bronze medalists and coaches.

"But let me focus on the gold medalists first. As it is, a gold is now worth P300,000, and if an athlete wins three individual golds in Laos, then when he comes home he gets P900,000. Then it will be a merry, merry Christmas for the athlete," said Angping.

In the same forum presented by Outlast Battery, PAGCOR, Shakey’s and Accel, Angping said he is sticking to the 153 athletes earlier approved for funding to the SEA Games.

He said these are the athletes who have strong chances of winning the gold, since they are the gold and silver medalists in the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand. Also in this group are the most promising athletes in the national pool.

The POC wanted 60 more athletes to the list, and said it is willing to fund them if the PSC can't. But Angping clarified that if anyone among these 60 athletes can at least come close to the criteria, then they can be considered for inclusion to the PSC-funded group, and therefore entitled to the cash incentives.

"We are for inclusion and not exclusion,” he said by way of meeting the POC demand.

“If we feel that they should be in, then we will put them in the list. But they need to do it fast because we're running out of time."

Angping also answered the charges and allegations made by the wrestling group which hosted the recent Asian Junior Wrestling Championship.

Angping said the charges of malversation of funds leveled against him are "all fabricated." He said it's the Wrestling Association of the Philippines which owes the PSC money. He said the PSC spent P6.3 million for the hosting of the event even if it only promised a financial support of P2 million.

"The agreement was very simple. I will advance the money in exchange for the collection of the registration fees. They charged each of the 250 athletes $500 each and therefore they collected close to P5.9 million. They did not honor the agreement. They should return almost P4 million to the PSC," said Angping.

The PSC chairman said he's also willing to sit down with POC officials led by its president, Jose Cojuangco, and come to a peaceful working agreement for the sake of the athletes.

"Philippine sports will not succeed if the PSC and the POC do not work as a team. It's like being in a marriage – you need to work together. Maybe we can let All-Saints Day pass and reflect on it. Then we can sit down," said Angping.