Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said he will conduct a comprehensive post-evaluation of the efforts exerted by the government and various stakeholders in preparing and supporting the country’s delegates to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, said that while the country celebrates its historic two gold medals and two bronze medals so far, there have also been some evident areas for improvement in terms of support to Filipino Olympians such as the case of the country’s golf team lacking official uniforms.

Criticisms came to light following a viral video posted by the mother of golfer Dottie Ardina which showcased Filipino athletes, including Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan, trying to stick the Philippine Flag on their generic golf outfits using double sided tape due to the lack of proper uniforms being provided to them.

"Bilang Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Sports, nabigla ako at labis na nalungkot nang malaman ko ang sitwasyon hinggil sa kawalan ng mga uniporme ng ating mga golfer sa Paris 2024 Olympics (As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the situation regarding the lack of uniforms for our golfers at the Paris 2024 Olympics),” Go said.

"Kung kinakailangan, bubusisiin natin ito sa komite pagkatapos ng Paris Olympics at magsasagawa tayo ng post-evaluation kung paano maiiwasan ang ganitong kakulangan at paano pa mas mapapabuti ang suporta sa ating mga atleta (If necessary, we will investigate this in the committee after the Paris Olympics and we will conduct a post-evaluation on how to avoid such a shortage and how to further improve the support for our athletes),” he stressed.

"Ramdam ko po ang sama ng loob na inilabas ng ating mga atleta. Hindi natin ito inaasahan lalo pa't isinulong natin ang dagdag na P30 milyon na pondo para lamang sa preparasyon ng ating delegates sa 2024 Olympics (I can feel the resentment expressed by our athletes. We did not expect this especially since we advanced an additional P30 million fund just for the preparation of our delegates for the 2024 Olympics),” he added.

Go clarified that the hearing aims to further improve preparations and enhance support for Philippine athletes competing not only in the Olympics but also in other future international competitions.

He also said there is a necessity to ensure there is concerted effort to learn from past experiences, fill in gaps in current sports programs, and find more opportunities for various stakeholders to come together to help boost Philippine sports.

"Hindi po natin nais magsisihan. Ang gusto lang natin ay maibigay ang sapat na suporta sa ating mga magigiting na atleta na bitbit ang karangalan ng ating bansa (We don't want to blame. All we want is to give enough support to our brave athletes who carry the honor of our country,” he said.

“Once in a lifetime lang po ang mga oportunidad na ito na makasali sa Olympics o iba pang international competitions. Ibigay na po natin ang buong suporta na nararapat! (These opportunities to participate in the Olympics or other international competitions are only once in a lifetime. Let's give the full support it deserves),” he added.

Go has continuously pushed for increased budget for sports programs as Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee to significantly improve Filipino athletes' preparation, training, and competitive performance on the international stage.

Aside from the additional P30 million included for the 2024 Olympics in this year’s national budget, there is also a P500,000 financial support given to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for each Filipino athlete and para-athlete that will participate in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics for this year, Go said.

Despite the setbacks, Go said he remains optimistic about the Filipino athletes' performance, praising their resilience and spirit.

"Gayunpaman, kahit na may ganitong mga aberya, proud na proud tayo sa bawat manlalarong Pilipino na patuloy na nagpapakita ng gilas, determinasyon at puso sa kanilang mga laban (However, even with these flaws, we are very proud of every Filipino player who continues to show elegance, determination and heart in their matches). Go, Go for Gold!" Go emphasized.