BY CHRISTINE MONCADA
STRESSING there is no shortcut to success,
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez
yesterday exhorted 25 athletes and four coaches who will train
in China to work hard and learn the art of self-sacrifice.
The group left yesterday afternoon for a
two-month intensive training in a state-of-the art sports
facility in Guangzhou where they will be handled by Chinese
coaches who are known disciplinarians.
The China training is part of the
nationals’ preparation for the 24th Southeast Asian Games in
Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand on Dec. 6-16 and the 2008
Beijing Olympics where the country is eyeing its first-ever
gold medal.
"There is no soft training to victory, it’s
always hard and it needs a lot of sacrifice. Just bear in mind
all your sacrifices is for the love of the country," Ramirez
told the group during simple send-off rites yesterday morning
at the PSC building.
"Not everybody has the opportunity to train
abroad, so take advantage of this. Dala-dala n’yo ang bansa
ninyo kaya pagbutihan ninyo ang pagsasanay para sa katuparan
ng ating pangarap na makapanalo ng ginto sa Olympics," added
Ramirez, who was joined by Commissioners Joey Mundo and Bong
de Luna and wushu president Julian Camacho during the send-off
rites.
"Take advantage of this big opportunity to
get first class training because getting an Olympic gold
requires not soft training but always extra hard training.
It’s not an easy road to China. It always entails sacrifices."
The athletes were led by Shiela Mae Perez,
a diving triple gold medalist in the 2005 Manila Philippine
Games. Other divers in the group are Zardo Domenios, Nino
Carog, Jaime Asok, Rexel Ryan Fabriga, Kevin Ong and Fil-Canadian
twins Nicole and Dhayna Lemay. They will be accompanied by
coaches Brian Palattao and Rodolfo Pahoyo.
Also leaving with the divers were the fencers, wushu
artists and Hidilyn Diaz, 16, a weightlifter being groomed to
compete in the 2012 Olympics in London.
