Duterte to send off PH athletes to Asian Games on Aug. 13, says top aide
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will send off next week athletes who will be representing the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, his top aide said on Tuesday.
In a statement, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go confirmed that Duterte would lead the send-off ceremony on August 13, which will include a basketball team.
He reiterated that the Philippine delegates to the Asian Games could expect Duterte’s full support.
“Sa buong RP delegation, nasa likod po ninyo ang Pangulong Duterte at ang buong bansa (To the entire RP [Philippine] delegation, President Duterte and the whole country will always be behind you to support you),” Go said.
“Alam natin na kaya niyo, and you will make our country proud, basta lumaban lang tayo. May puso ang Pilipino (We know that you can do it, and you will make our country proud as long as we keep on fighting. We have the heart to do it),” he said.
On Sunday, Go separately met with the chairmen of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), as well as with the owners of some basketball teams, to ask them to reconsider their decision.
This was after SBP, the sport’s national governing body, announced that the Philippines would be skipping the basketball competition in the 2018 Asian Games.
The SBP said that the decision was to allow the Philippine national team and the organization to “regroup, and prepare” for the process of appealing the FIBA Disciplinary Panel’s decision to suspend Gilas Pilipinas players and coaches over the infamous brawl with the Australian team on July 2.
But after calling an emergency meeting, the basketball associations said they were fielding a team to the Asian Games.
Go, a basketball enthusiast, expressed his gratitude to PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, SBP president Al Panlilio, and the basketball players for responding to his appeal.
The President’s top aide reiterated that the Philippine team does not have to win but “we are just obligated to never stop trying.”
Go also said he believed that with Yeng Guiao as head coach, “our Philippine basketball team will give the opponents a good fight.”
The men’s basketball competition in the Asian Games officially starts on August 14 ahead of the opening. The Philippines has been grouped with Iran, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates in Group B.
A total of 272 national athletes competing in 31 sports will be fielded for the 2018 Asian Games from August 18 to September 2. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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