SEAG-bound athletes get PSC green light for training resumption

Athletes bound for the 31st Southeast Asian Games, happening from May 12 to 23 in Vietnam, can now resume with their training after it was hampered by the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country the past weeks.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said it has issued a green light for the nationals to enter several facilities located at both the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig.

According to Ramon Fernandez, PSC commissioner and chef de mission to the SEA Games, the development came after the Philippines began seeing a downward trend in virus transmission.

The country on Wednesday, February 2, recorded 7, 661 new cases, which is relatively low compared to more than 30,000 cases the weeks before.

"Rizal and PhilSports are now ready to be occupied and the athletes bound for the SEA Games can now restart their training," Fernandez told GMA News Online in an interview.

"But we have to observe strict protocols. We are leaning towards implementing the same protocols we had when NCR was still in Alert Level 3. It's for the safety of the athletes and everyone involved."

Athletes coming from wushu, judo, wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis, and tennis are allowed to conduct their preparation inside the facilities in RMSC while those from swimming, athletics, fencing, and martial arts can enter PhilSports.

The Philippine delegation was supposed to start with the training last month but the PSC decided to pull the plug as the country continues its battle against the virus.

Fernandez though, noted that PSC won't be sending athletes for training abroad anymore due to budget constraints. He, however, added that national sports associations (NSAs) can do so given that private sponsors will fund the overseas training.

"I think we still have enough time to prepare as long as these virus cases will no longer increase," said Fernandez. "We have to remember that we are looking to defend our overall championship in Vietnam so the preparation won't really be easy."

The first batch of Philippine team will leave for Hanoi on May 6 while the second group will leave on May 10, giving some individuals time to cast their votes in the May 9 elections. — LA, GMA News