DESPITE not asking about compensation when they agreed to play in the 19th Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas players will definitely be rewarded financially for their historic gold medal win in Hangzhou, China.
Members of the newly crowned Asiad champs already stand to receive P500,000 each for the gold medal under Republic Act 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.
READ: Two players 'asked for the moon' to play for Gilas in Asiad
Individual athletes who won gold in Hangzhou like EJ Obiena, Meggie Ochoa, and Annie Ramirez will be receiving P2 million for their successful campaign in the Asian.
But for Gilas, under the law, team sports with five or more participants shall receive 25 percent of the cash incentives for individual medal winners – or in the case of the team 25 percent of the P2 million.
The team will still get more, according to team manager Alfrancis Chua, from the benefactors of the team in Manny V. Pangilinan and Ramon S. Ang.
“Kung meron silang matatanggap ngayon, of course meron. Gold eh,” said Chua. “Boss RSA and Sir MVP, nag-join silang dalawa. Nag-usap kami and they will give something to the players.”
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino has also promised a P1-million windfall for the new Asiad champs.
Chua said Ang and Pangilinan have been given support, including financially during the campaign in the Asian Games.
RSA goes out of his way
Chua said there also was a time that Ang asked a person based in Hong Kong to go to Hangzhou to bring money to the team for food outside of that being provided in the team hotel.
“Kung walang suporta ni Boss RSA at ni MVP, patay kami,” said Chua. “They are the ones giving us the power and the will to work hard because alam namin na ‘yung dalawang mabigat, nasa likod namin.
"Napakalaking bagay sa amin ‘yun na ang kapalit is to win the gold.”
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