The tiny Philippine delegation to the recent First Youth Olympic Games will be honored today by members of the Lower House in a fitting ceremony at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
A resolution, authored by Puwersa ng Pambansang Atleta sectoral Representative Mark Sambar, Sarangani Congressman and seven-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Youth and Sports Committee chair Renato Unico will be presented to the 16-man national contingent which carried the country?s colors with honors in the inaugural staging of the International Olympic Committee- sanctioned meet held Aug. 14-26 in Singapore.
The honorees, headed by Chief of Mission Mark Joseph of swimming are athletes Jessie King Lacuna and Jasmine Paler Alkhaldi in swimming; Michael Pate, Jeron Teng, Bobby Parks and Chris Tolomia in basketball, Patricia Llena in weightlifting, Jeson Patrombon in tennis and Kirk Barbosa in taekwondo.
Also to be honored are coaches Carlos Brosas in swimming, Leonardo Llena in weightlifting, Robert Cruz in taekwondo, Emmanuel Tecson in tennis, Ramon Jose in basketball, Joseph and Gina Calaguas, delegation administrator.
The resolution also paid tribute to the contribution given by the Philippine Sports Commission without whose financial support the historic participation would not have been possible.
Also invited to the ceremony, to be presided over by House Speaker Sonny Belmonte are Philippine Olympic committee officials, headed by its president, Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco, and their PSC counterparts, led by chair Richie Garcia.
Joseph thanked members of the House, particularly those making up the Youth and Sports Committee, for recognizing the value of the Filipino youths participation in the first ever Youth Olympic Games towards the country?s long-time quest for its first Olympic gold medal.
Sambar, for his part said that, while the nine-athlete contingent failed to win a single medal, ?their participation is still admirable and praiseworthy considering the manner by which they conducted themselves while competing against the best from 203 nations where they projected the true image of the country and our people.?
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