Pinoy Wrestlers grapple for Olympic slots
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 19 Apr 2012
Three of the finest Filipino wrestlers will have to make the most out of the coming World Wrestling Championships in order to make it to this year?s Olympic Games in London this coming July.
Wrestling Association of the Philippines secretary general Karlo Sevilla announced that grapplers Margarito Angana, Jason Balabal and Alvin Lobreguito are entered in the world tourney set April 26-31 in Beijing in the hope of joining five other Filipino athletes who had earlier made it to London earlier.
?There still one more Olympic qualifying tournament scheduled before the Olympic Games, but because of the financial constraints, since that competition is scheduled in Finland, we in WAP believe we might not afford sending them there,? Sevilla said during last week?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
According to Sevilla, chances of the three Filipino strongmen brightened up despite their failure to survive three earlier qualifying competitions simply because some 34 from 14 countries have earned slots.
?Kumbaga, wala na ang mga sobrang malalakas na wrestlers na magpa-participate. So malaki na ang pagasa nesting ma-qualify,? he reasoned out.
Angana, a 55-kilogram campaigner, should he again failed to make it, still have a chance to join the Finland qualifier, according to Sevilla.
?Angana, you see, along with few other athletes, is a scholar under the International Olympic Committee Solidarity program and his plan is to use his $5,000 a month stipend as such to go to Finland,? Sevilla said.
?He himself told us that he?s been saving his IOC monthly honorarium in order to use it for his trip to Finland,? the WAP secgen told his audience during the SCOOP session, sponsored by Powerade, AKTV and FILA.
Sevilla disclosed that although wrestling belongs to list of priority sports under the Philippine Sports Commission policy, WAP?s P10 million subsidy is not enough to shoulder the expenses to be incurred by the trio in Finland in terms of plane fares, allowances and board and lodging.
?Part of the subsidy goes to athletes? international exposure and training, kaya short-handed talaga kami,? he said. ?Often times nga delayed ba ang release n gaming request for assistance.?
Angana and company, accompanied by national coach Roel Pacional, actually are in Beijing for the past three weeks honing up their skills for the World Championships scheduled in the same Chinese capital.
With their training stint in China plus a relatively weakened competitors, we are crossing our fingers that kahit isa lang sa kanila ay ma-qualify,? Sevilla said.
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