IOC grants 9 Filipino athletes with Olympic Solidarity Scholarships

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) granted nine promising Filipino world-class athletes an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship (OSS) for their quest of a 2024 Paris Olympics qualification.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino announced the development with pole vaulter EJ Obiena headlining the list of the chosen athletes.

Joining Obiena in the list of scholars are golfer Rianne Malixi, weightlifter Elreen Ando, fencer Samantha Catalan, boxers Aira Villegas & Rogen Ladon, BMX cyclist Patrick Coo, skateboarder Jerico Francisco, and wrestler Allen Arcilla.

All nine athletes will reportedly receive $833 (43,578 pesos) OSS allowance per month as confirmed by the IOC and the POC.

“The POC wishes to congratulate these nine promising athletes for earning scholarships as they focus on their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This is the first time that our country had such number of scholars,” Tolentino shared.

Aside from the decent amount of monthly allowance, the nine athletes will also receive proper access to the needed training facilities for their respective sports, free board and lodging, pocket money, travel money, medical benefits, and personal coaches.

Tolentino explained that the POC will head the athletes’ liquidation of expenses on a quarterly based schedule through their respective National Sports Associations (NSA).

However, these freebies and benefits from the OSS program will only be eligible for 2024 Olympics-related events and competitions.

“All these athletes need to do is to focus on their training and set their goal toward the Paris Olympics,” said Tolentino.