2 RP jins settle for bronze finish in Asian Games

Two Filipino taekwondo jins settled for bronze medals in their respective divisions Friday, finally placing Team Philippines in the medal standings in the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Katlyn Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo bowed to Indonesia’s Juana Wangsa Putri and Thailand’s Chonnapas Premvaew, respectively, and settled for third—place finish in their categories. Yet despite their failure to advance in the next round, Alora and Domingo stand to receive additional incentives after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the recommendation of Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella. Puentevella had recommended that athletes who bring home medals stand to get monetary incentives on top of what is mandated by law: P500,000 for every gold medal; P300,000 for silver; and P200,000 for bronze. Under Republic Act 9064, an Asian Games gold medalist stands to receive P1 million; a silver medalist P500,000; and a bronze medalist P100,000. That means an athlete, who wins a gold medal in the Asiad, will now get P1.5 million. A silver medal is now worth P800,000 while bronze P300,000. For winning the country first bronze medals in taekwondo, Katlyn Eunice Alora and Veronica Domingo will be rewarded P300,000 each. Boxer Violito Payla, who is also assured of P400,000, still has a chance to win the gold medal and the P1.5 million reward. Puentevella, a former Philippine sports commissioner, is also first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). - GMANews.TV