15th Asian Games

AN UNHERALDED billiards player will lead 17 other Filipino athletes who will receive their cash incentives today for bringing home 19 medals, four of them golds, from the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, recently.

Antonio Gabica, who shone for what has been described as a “weak” billiards team with a gold-silver medal effort, will get a windfall of P2.3 million from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during a courtesy call by the victorious nationals this morning at Malacañang Palace.

A total of P13.5 million will be given away with boxers Joan Tipon and Violito Payla and wushu bet Rene Catalan receiving P1.5 million each as the other gold medalists of the RP delegation that finished 18th overall from a field of 45 nations.

The monetary rewards were assured through RA 9064 known as the Sports Incentives Act and approved in 2001 where P1 million was reserved for a gold, P500,000 for a silver and P100,000 for bronze from the funds of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The President then announced additional incentives of P500,000 for a gold, P300,000 for silver and P200,000 for bronze on the second week of the Asiad.

Gabica won the gold medal in 9-ball singles over compatriot Jeffrey De Luna after earlier missing the gold in the 8-ball singles in a performance that showed there were many other billiards aces in the country other than Efren (Bata) Reyes and Co.

The two silvers in billiards were matched by taekwondo’s Mary Antoinette Rivero and Tshomlee Go. Maria Mama Pabillore of karate and wushu’s Eduardo Folayang accounted for the other silvers which were worth P800,000 for each athlete.

Winning bronze medals worth P300,000 each were Katlyn Eunice Allora, Veronica Domingo and Manuel Rivero Jr. of taekwondo, boxing’s Godfrey Castro and Genebert Basadre, Noel Espinosa of karate and golf’s Michael Bibat.

Fil-American Cecil Mamiit, who partnered with Eric Taino, also a Fil-Am, in winning the bronze in the men’s doubles tennis will get P450,000 for also winding up third in men’s singles. Taino will receive P150,000.