As the national fencing team prepares for its departure next week for another bubble training in Ormoc City, other national sports associations (NSAs) are also gearing up to do the same in preparation for the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next year.
Philippine Sports Commission commissioner Ramon Fernandez said Tuesday, September 7 that the agency is expecting a formal request of bubble training from six NSAs.
“We are waiting for their requests (and other documents),” said Fernandez in a message to Manila Bulletin.
The six NSAs according to Fernandez are boxing, karate, canoe kayak, archery, kickboxing and muay thai.
The fencing team will start its bubble on Sept. 18 to Dec. 5 in Ormoc City following the PSC approval on the request of the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) headed by its president Richard Gomez.
Gomez hosted in Ormoc City where he is the mayor, the bubble training for the fencers from January to April, and a bubble event Fencing Open Championship held last June.
In an interview early this week, Fernandez said that the PSC is allowing these bubble training of athletes intended for the SEA Games since the government has already allotted a budget for that.
“Tuloy ang training para magamit yung budget,” he said.
Vietnam was supposed to stage the SEA Games on Nov. 21 to Dec. 2 but because of the COVID-19 situation, the host’s organizing committee has decided to reschedule the meet next year.
However, the host country has yet to announce the exact date of the SEA Games, although there is speculation it’s either in March or April to avoid conflict and give athletes enough time to rest and prepare for the 2022 Asian Games in September in Hangzhou, China.