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By Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter
THE lean but mean Philippine contingent to the
2008 Beijing Olympics has all its eyes fixed on the prize, refusing
to be distracted with the controversies facing host country China.
China has been a picture of unfortunate events
recently. There was the infamous crackdown on Tibet, the lingering
air pollution and the destructive Sichuan earthquake.
But these things are not worrying RP swimming
coach Carlo Brosas.
“The important thing here is the performance
of our athletes in the games,” said Brosas, a former Olympian
himself. “We don’t encourage talks about these things because
they will deviate us from our main goal, which is to deliver a medal
for the country.”
Harry Tañamor, the lone RP boxer who will slug
it out in Beijing, couldn’t agree less.
“I don’t think of those things, I only think
about my game,” said Tañamor, who qualified for Beijing by
winning the silver medal in the International Boxing Association
World championships in Chicago in November. “I won’t let such
distractions disrupt all the hard work I’ve done to do well in the
Games.”
The host country has also imposed stricter rules
on visa issuances for security, but Brosas supports it.
“It’s part of the game, it’s the biggest
stage in the sporting world so it deserves airtight security,”
said Brosas, whose team has the largest delegation with five.
Tañamor will join other 2008 Filipino Beijing
Olympics qualifiers that include US-trained swimmers Miguel Molina,
James Walsh, Ryan Arabejo, Daniel Coakley and Christel Simms, archer
Mark Javier, tae kwon do jins Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero and divers
Sheila Mae Perez and Rexel Ryan Fabriga.
Rounding up the RP roster are wildcard
entries Henry Dagmil and Marestella Torres of athletics, Eric Ang of
shooting, and Heidilyn Diaz of weightlifting.
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