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 president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Sunday.
The Association of National Olympic Committees canceled the World Beach Games set from 5 to 15 August in Bali after the Indonesian government pulled the budget from 14-sport games only last 4 July.
And on Saturday, the Olympic Council of Asia announced that the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games set from 17 to 26 November in Bangkok and Chonburi were moved to 24 February to 8 March 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 canceled also 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.”
Many of the Filipino athletes who are supposed to be in Bali or AIMAG, according to Tolentino, are also on the delegation to the Hangzhou Asian Games set from 23 September to 8 October.
“They can totally focus on the Asian Games, the biggest competition in Asia,” he said.
Two Filipino surfers in 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.”
