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    Why Olympics, SEAG-bound athletes should be prioritized in vaccination: senator

    Go urging PSC, POC to finalize list of athletes competing in Olympics, SEA Games for inclusion in vaccination
    May 11, 2021
    Philippine team
    PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

    SENATOR Bong Go reiterated calls to include Filipino athletes bound for the Tokyo Olympics and the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games to be among those prioritized in the vaccination for COVID-19.

    Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Sports, stressed the importance of inoculating qualified members of Team Philippines in order for them to safely travel and focus on their campaigns in the two important international tournaments to be held one after the other.

    The Tokyo Games are set July 23 to August 8, while the SEA Games are slated in Hanoi from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2.

    So far, a total of eight Filipino athletes are qualified for the Olympiad, while around 600 athletes will represent the country in the SEA Games.

    “Ang tagumpay nila ay tagumpay rin ng buong bansa. Hirap na hirap na ang ating mga kababayan, pero subukan nating bigyan ang taumbayan ng rason na magkaroon ng pag-asa at magkaisa,” said Go in a statement, while highlighting the positive impact of sports to Filipinos.

    “Marami rin po ang naghihirap sa ating mga atleta at tatandaan natin na bukod sa pagrepresenta sa ating bansa, lahat po sila ay may mga pamilya rin pong pinapakain at binubuhay. Ang pagbabakuna sa kanila ay hindi lang bilang suporta sa ating mga atleta, kundi suporta rin upang maiangat muli ang kanilang kabuhayan,” added the lawmaker.

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    Athletes are not included in the initial priority list of the government for the COVID-19 vaccination.

    Go has since discussed his appeal to the national government, specifically vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who both committed to include qualified athletes in the priority list but without prejudice to already identified priority categories such as frontliners, senior citizens, those with comorbidities, and essential sectors.

    “Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Sports and Health, umaapila ako na bakunahan na agad ang ating mga atleta na sasabak sa upcoming international competitions. Makiisa at magmalasakit tayo sa Team Pilipinas. Suportahan at proteksiyunan natin sila dahil karangalan rin ng bansa ang nakataya rito,” added the senator.

    The lawmaker said vaccinating the athletes and members of the Philippine delegations would somehow help not to jeopardize their health condition and performance, including their chances of winning medals for the country.

    Of the eight athletes who qualified to the Olympics, only middleweight boxer Eumir Marcial has been known to be fully vaccinated, although the International Olympics Committee (IOC) said it ‘strongly encouraged’ the vaccination of Olympic participants, but will not be mandatory for all.

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    “Bandila ng Pilipinas at dangal ng lahing Pilipino ang itatanghal ng ating mga atleta sa mga palarong ito. Dapat lamang na bigyan din natin sila ng sapat na proteksyon. Noong nakaraang 2019 SEA Games, naging kampeon ang Team Philippines dahil sa suporta ng buong sambyanang Pilipino. Nagkaisa ang gobyerno, pribadong sector, at ordinaryong Pilipino para sa ating mga atleta,” said Go.

    “Ngayon na kailangan nila ang tulong at proteksyon mula sa sakit, ibigay muli natin ang suportang kailangan nila hindi laman sa oras ng kanila kompetisyon, kundi pati na rin sa kanilang preparasyon at panahon ng kanilang pangangailangan.”

    In this regard, Go is urging both the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to finalize the master list of athletes competing for both the Olympics and SEA Games which will be submitted to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases through the Department of Health.

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      As per estimate of both sports bodies, the country will be sending around 100 members of the Philippine delegation to the Olympics, and an estimated 1,500-strong contingent to the SEA Games, including athletes, coaches, team officials, among others.

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      “Bilisan na po natin para hindi tayo maipit sa oras dahil malapit na po ang mga kumpetisyon. Tutal patuloy naman po ang pagdating ng mga bakuna at ginagawa rin ng gobyerno ang lahat para mapabilis ang ating vaccine rollout sa iba’t ibang parte ng bansa,” said Go.

      “Ayusin na ang listahan ng mga athletes and team members for qualified sporting events para maisaayos na rin ang pagbabakuna sa kanila. Ang bakunahan ang ating mga atleta ang pinakamalaking tulong na mabibigay natin sa kanila.”
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      PHOTO: Jerome Ascano
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