DAVAO CITY- The government cannot entirely be blamed for the lack of support that the lone Filipino Winter Olympian Christian Martinez was getting .
William Ramirez, erstwhile Chairman Philippine Sports Commission said during an interview at Kapehansa SM media forum held today (Feb. 17).
“Who would have thought that a Filipino would qualify in the Winter Olympics?” Ramirez said. He added that one couldn’t just ask for funding because government budget for sports is appropriated by Congress and would undergo a process.
He said it is natural that initial support will come from parents, relatives or supporters. In the case of Christian Martinez his parents had been shouldering much of his training.
In one report, the skater’s mother Maria Theresa bared that they had mortgaged their home to finance the skater’s cost of travel to international ice skating tournaments.
Public uproar had followed over the lack government support for Martinez, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian figure ice skater Olympian in his Winter Olympics campaign in Sochi.
“Instead of blaming government his NSA (National Sports Association) should present their case in the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. “ Ramirez said.
“Hindi langbasta-basta ka hihingi.” (You don’t just immediately ask) Ramirez said adding that even in private sector any budgetary allocation must be included in the company’s program of activities.
He said that poor and rich countries their budget for sports is not even enough for the needs of their athletes.
But Ramirez said that Martinez has opened the eyes of the government and the public to the potentials of the Filipino in the sport.
Ramirez who was appointed as OIC of the Davao City Sports Division also said that local athletes in the same case like Martinez would get support from the City Government.
“If an athlete is deserving, if he brings honor to the country. Dapattabangansiya. (We should help him).
Ramirez said that the current budget of the City Sports Division is around P25-million and parts of it used to fund plane tickets, food and other travel expenses of the City’s athletes in various sports competitions like BatangPinoy and the Philippine National Games.
The P25-million budget is a big jump from the P5-million budget allocated to the Sports Division in previous years.
He said in case a Dabawenyo athlete competing in an extraordinary sport like ice skating, they would seek the help of the City Mayor as much of their City Sports budget has been programmed already. (PIA/RG Alama)
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