The Philippine rowing team entered the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, without their most vital equipment—the boats.
According to a source, the Philippine Rowing Association (PRA) decided to rent boats in China instead of transporting their own.
“Instead na magdala ng sariling bangka, nagrenta na lang sila sa China, same brand naman daw kasi,” said the source.
However, this decision didn’t sit well with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), which had already funded the purchase of the boats intended to be taken to China.
“Nabayaran na kasi ng PSC ‘yun kasi akala nila ‘yun ang gagamit sa Asian Games, tapos magrerenta lang pala,” the source said.
This wasn’t the first time the PRA chose not to bring boats for a competition, as they made a similar decision during the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
At that time, PRA president Patrick Gregorio cited “logistical issues” as the reason for using the boats provided by the SEA Games host.
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