THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) rescheduled its first General Assembly (GA) to Jan. 26 because of the surge of COVID-19.
POC PresidentAbraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday that the body doesn’t want to risk its members and officials from the spike in infections which were recorded after the holidays. The hybrid GA was originally scheduled Jan. 12 at Grandmaster Hotel in Tagaytay City.
The postponement, Tolentino said, deferred the GA’s ratification of the recommendations of the POC Ethics Committee topped by the declaration of Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico as persona non grata.
“We just cannot risk everybody’s health and although we have a stacked agenda to start the year, we have to heed protocols,” Tolentino said.
The POC prepares for Filipino athletes' participation in the Hanoi Games.
Tolentino said the stacked agenda includes updates and finalization of tasks on the Winter Olympics which start on Feb. 4 and the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games in May and Hangzhou 19th Asian Games in September.
“The Paris Olympics are just already only two years away but we’re putting priority on the Games,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino added that the GA will also be provided with updates on the POC’s financial aid program on athletes and coaches who were severely affected by Typhoon Odette.
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