15th Asian Games

THE government will hand out a total of P13.5 million in cash incentives to the returning Filipino medalists from the 15th Doha Asian Games.

President Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to hand out the rewards to the achievers in the Doha Asiad during a courtesy call of Team Philippines in Malacañang at a date to be announced later.

The Sports Incentive Act rewards an Asian Games gold medalist with a P1 million bonus, a silver medalist P500,000 and a bronze medalist P100,000 with the funds provided by Pagcor.

But the President approved last week additional rewards of P500,000, P300,000 and P200,000 for the gold, silver and bronze winners, respectively.

Billiards player Antonio “Gaga” Gabica, the country’s most outstanding Asian Games athlete, will bring home a windfall of P2.3 million for clinching the men’s 9-ball singles gold medal (P1.5 million) and the silver in the 8-ball singles (P800,000).

The other gold medalists are boxing’s Violito Payla and Joan Tipon and wushu’s Rene Catalan. They will each receive P1.5 million.

Jeffrey de Luna, who lost to Gabica in the men’s 9-ball finals, leads four other silver medalists who will receive P800,000 apiece.

The others are taekwondo jins Mary Antoinette Rivero and Tshomlee Go, karateka Maria Marna Pabillore and wushu’s Eduard Folayang.

Filipino-American tennis player Cecil Mamiit has a total of P600,000 after pocketing a bronze in the men’s singles and another one with fellow Fil-Am Eric Taino in the men’s doubles. Taino’s share is P300,000.

The other bronze medalists receiving P300,000 each are taekwondo jins Kathleen Eunice Allora, Veronica Domingo and Manuel Rivero Jr., boxers Godfrey Castro and Genebert Basadre, golfer Michael Bibat and karateka Noel Espinosa.

The country’s 4-6-9 gold-silver-bronze medal output in Doha was its best showing in the quadrennial sports conclave since the the 4-5-9 tally of their predecessors in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and bettered the 3-7-16 performance in the Busan Asiad four years ago.

Fielding a total of 299 athletes— the biggest RP contingent in the 55-year history of the Asian Games—the country wound up 18th overall out of 45 participating nations. The country also placed 18th place finish in the Busan Asiad.