POC, MVPSF to give non-medalist Filipino Olympians P500k each

Filipino athletes who came up short of a medal in the Tokyo Olympics will not be going home empty-handed.

In a statement, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said that non-Olympic medalists will be rewarded with P500,000 each courtesy of the POC and the MVP Sports Foundation of business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan.

"The non-medalists in the Tokyo Olympics will receive incentives of P500,000 each,” Tolentino said on Thursday.

Athletes to receive the P500k incentives are rowing’s Cris Nievarez, taekwondo’s Kurt Barbosa, skateboarding’s Margielyn Didal, shooting’s Jayson Valdez, gymnastics’ Carlos Yulo, boxing’s Irish Magno, judo’s Kiyomi Watanabe, weightlifting’s Elreen Ando, golf’s Juvic Pagunsan, athletics’ EJ Obiena (pole vault) and Kristina Knott (200m), and swimming’s Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie.

Meanwhile, the country has already secured two medals after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz delivered the first-ever gold medal followed by the historic silver of boxer Nesthy Petecio.

Other boxers in Eumir Marcial and Carlo Paalam are already assured of at least a bronze medal but they can still upgrade it to silver or gold medal as they are in semifinals of the middleweight and flyweight divisions, respectively.

Golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan are also still in the middle of their respective campaigns.

“Everyone on Team Philippines in these ‘Golden Olympics’ deserve all the praises, and in this case, incentives, they need,” Tolentino added.

“Qualifying for the Olympics is already that difficult, what more competing in the Games themselves.”

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News