Carlos Yulo, foreign-based Filipino Tokyo 2020 athletes to get COVID-19 vaccine

Carlos Yulo leads the country’s foreign-based Tokyo 2020 athletes who will get vaccinated for COVID-19 in their current country of residence.

World champion gymnast Yulo and his Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya are set to be inoculated in Japan after Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion-Norton secured a guarantee from the Japan Olympic Committee and the Japanese Gymnastics Association.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to all our NOC neighbors for helping our athletes to get vaccinated,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Thursday, June 10.

Tolentino stressed that keeping the athletes safe from COVID-19 is of high importance as it will determine the fate of their participation in the quadrennial meet.

“Although vaccine is not mandatory in the Olympics, we cannot put the well-being and health of our athletes at risk,” Tolentino said. “Once you’re tested positive, you’re automatically out of the competition.”

Tolentino said Malaysia assured that weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and her team will get their second dose of the vaccine and the POC is currently reaching out to pole vaulter EJ Obiena to get his vaccines in Formia, Italy.

Eumir Marcial is fully vaccinated, while boxers Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio, and Carlo Paalam are also scheduled to receive their first doses in Thailand.

Rower Cris Nievarez got his first jab in Manila during the mass vaccination program for Tokyo 2020 and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games-bound athletes organized by the POC and Inter Agency Task Force (IATF).

Taekwondo jin Kurt Bryan Barbosa and skateboarder Margielyn Didal, the two latest Olympic qualifiers, will get their first dose in the second batch of POC’s vaccination program within the month. – Rappler.com