POC seals deal with ASICS as Team PHL official outfitter anew in Cambodia SEAG

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann (left) with newly appointed commissioner Matthew “Fritz”

Gaston welcomed as 4th commissioner of govt sports agency

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann welcomed Matthew “Fritz” Gaston, whose appointment as commissioner finally completed the PSC board.

Gaston reported for work at the PSC offices inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila on Friday.

“My family, they are happy for me because they’ve always rooted for me for sports, and they know I’m a sportsman,” Gaston said. “Even if I worked in the corporate, they know that I truly love sports.”

Gaston was a former commissioner at the Games and Amusements Board and played seven seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association out of Ateneo.

“This is more challenging and has a sense of purpose for me since I have been an athlete,” he said. “We just have to take care of all the athletes, from the elite, all the way from the grassroots.”

A national youth basketball team member in 1977, he coached the national women’s team to a bronze medal finish in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

“The elite has to be given support to the Asian and Olympic level,” he said. “They have to be given the training, equipment and exposure at an Olympic level.”

MEMBERS of Team Philippines will again be clad in ASICS national team kits following the renewal of partnership between the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) led by president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and SONAK Chief Technology Officer Kabir Buxani on Friday.

“ASICS has been tested in many competitions abroad. Their apparel, including the shoes, are all high end and made from quality materials,” Tolentino said during a formal sponsorship ceremony at the East Ocean Garden Restaurant in Pasay City.

“We are glad that ASICS is back for the fifth time as the country’s official outfitter for our athletes, coaches and team officials in Cambodia,” added Tolentino, referring to the 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian Games set May 5 to 17.

The partnership covers 1,500 sets of the recognizable Japanese brand’s merchandise for the members of Team Philippines to Cambodia—840 athletes and 300 coaches.

Filipino athletes and coaches to the ASEAN Para Games that Cambodia is hosting from June 3 to June 9 would also be outfitted by ASICS.

With Tolentino and Buxani were POC deputy secretary-general for international affairs Bones Floro, Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara and SONAK director Filipina “Bhaby” Lorenzo. ASICS would be supplying complete tracksuits, t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, backpacks, caps, socks and footwear.

The brand has been the official outfitter of Team Philippines since the Philippines 2019 and Vietnam 2022 SEA Games as well as in the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 and Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.

Olympic head slams ‘deplorable’ government views

GENEVA—Criticism by European governments of the push to reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes into world sports before the 2024 Paris Games was called “deplorable” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) leader on Thursday.

IOC president Thomas Bach also suggested those governments—which seemed to include his own home country Germany—had “double standards” for focusing on athletes from countries involved in just one of about 70 wars and armed conflicts ongoing in the world. Bach detailed IOC advice on Tuesday to individual Olympic sports bodies of conditions by which they could decide to approve individual Russian or Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes, while continuing a ban from team sports.

The IOC said sports should exclude athletes who have military links, though Bach clarified on Thursday this likely should not apply to those who did one year of mandatory service.

“We have taken note of some negative reactions by some European governments in particular,” Bach said at a news conference after an IOC executive board meeting.

It was more of the same in the third as Rey Taneo dished out 21 excellent sets and Ridz Muhali put up a 13-point showing in their big bounce back win. Kim Malabunga and Hero Austria matched 12-point outputs with the latter capping his superb all-around performance with 16 excellent receptions and five digs. Libero Rikko Marmeto also came up with 20 receptions and 16 digs.

The AJAA Spikers also slowed down Disquitado, who exploded with 30 points in Game One but settled for a 21-point effort this time, going 19-of-39 in attacks, while Rash Nursiddik finished with seven points.