THE number of Filipino athletes qualifying for Paris is rising and so is the buildup of excitement as the country braces for its 100th year of participation in the Olympics.

“Eleven, formally, and counting,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino on Sunday, a day after gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar and rower Joanie Delgaco officially became the 10th and 11th Filipino Paris Olympian in a little over a 24-hour span.

Jung-Ruivivar qualified on Friday night at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha where she grabbed a silver medal and enough qualification points to become the third Filipino gymnast to vie in Paris after Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.

On Sunday morning, Delgaco finished fifth in the 2,000 meters of women’s single sculls at the World Rowing Asian and Oceania Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta and Asian Rowing Cup in Chungju, South Korea, enough to earn a ticket to Paris.

“Congratulations to our new qualified Olympians,” Tolentino also said in his official Facebook page, noting that Delgaco is the first Filipina rower to qualify for the Olympics.

 “Their dedication, perseverance and exceptional talent are an inspiration to us all.”

“The POC extends its heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for continued success as they compete in Paris 2024,” Tolentino said. “The entire Philippines stands behind you.”

Both Jung-Ruivivar and Delgaco are surprise packages in the Olympic qualifiers under a hundred days before the Paris Olympics.

Weightlifter Rosegie Ramos is unofficially the 12th Filipino to qualify for Paris pending the International Weightlifting Federation’s official announcement of the roster for the Games.

The country is also guaranteed three qualifiers—one in athletics and two in swimming—under the universality rule making the Filipino Olympian count unofficially at 15.

“We expect more of our athletes to be in Paris as the qualifiers in various sports are still being conducted,” Tolentino said.

Also qualified for Paris are pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas and weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, Erleen Ann Ando and John Febuar Ceniza.

MANILA — The crisis at the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) is finally over with the election of members of the federation’s board of trustees as prescribed by the International Federation (ITF) through the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has been set for December 11 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expressed relief over the resolution of the Philta crisis which started on December 3, 2020 when the ITF suspended the national sports association. (NSA).

The ITF suspension was borne out of what the world governing body deemed as the Philta’s board of trustees (BOT) having an “exclusive membership” and not a regional representation.

As a result, the ITF sought the POC to create an ad hoc body to oversee operations of the Philta while revising the NSA’s charter that hinges on a membership bordering on a genuine nationwide representation.

The ITF put its imprimatur recently on the NSA’s amended by-laws through its senior legal counsel Hannah McLean and Thomas Needham with the election of the new members of the board of trustees specifically set before the year ends.

“It’s a crisis that dragged on for years and we are glad that the ITF has commented on the amended by-laws and gave the Philta a path back to recognition,” Tolentino said.

POC deputy head of legal Atty. Billy Sumagui and NSA caretaker Ramon “Tats” Suzara led the amendment of the by-laws that now require the Philta BOT to have 13 members from geographic sectors consisting of the country’s various regions.

The amended by-laws were based on the original 1955 and revised 2020 Philta by-laws, ITF constitution, Hongkong Tennis Association by-laws, The Rule of Tennis and the Philippine Corporate Law.

(ai/mnm)

FILIPINO athletes vying in two major multi-sport continental competitions that were either canceled or postponed have no choice but to reboot, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Sunday.

The Association of National Olympic Committees, or ANOC, to which the POC is a member, canceled the World Beach Games set for August 5 to 15 in Bali after the Indonesian government pulled the budget from the 14-sport games only last July 4.

And on Saturday, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) set for November 17 to 26 in Bangkok and Chonburi were moved to February 24 to March 8 next year.

The OCA, which held its elections also on Saturday in Bangkok with Kuwaiti Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah winning as president by only four votes (24-20), said the AIMAG was also canceled because of budget concerns and that Thailand is transitioning to a new government administration.

“These are beyond our control. I understand the sentiments of our athletes but this is something that we don’t have a choice about,” Tolentino said. “But as athletes, I trust them to make the adjustments.”

According to Tolentino, Many Filipino athletes who’re supposed to be in Bali or AIMAG are also on the delegation to the Hangzhou Asian Games set for September 23 to October 8.

“They can totally focus on the Asian Games, the biggest competition in Asia,” he said.

Two Filipino surfers—Jay-R Esquivel and Aping Agudo—have so far made the grade for the second edition of the World Beach Games.

They gained qualification via the world championships in El Salvador last month.

“We’ve been working so hard in the past few weeks [in San Jose, La Union] and then we found out that the event was canceled,” Esquivel said. “We’re all sad and disappointed but there’s nothing we can do.”

The ANOC has yet to announce a new host and dates for the World Beach Games, the second global sports event after the FIFA Under-20 World Cup that Indonesia dropped at the 11th hour. (ai/mnm)