Hopes are high for 19-year-old Carlos Edriel Yulo in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Yulo did what no other Filipino has done when he won the gold in the men’s floor event of the world gymnastics championships.
He believes he can still outdo himself with more hard work and training.
“Hindi pa po ako satisfied doon,” Yulo said during a media conference on Tuesday hosted by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for him, boxer Nesthy Petecio and pole-vaulter EJ Obiena.
“Alam kong mas-kaya ko pa po.”
Even Cynthia Carrion, head of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, the sport’s national governing body, agreed with this mindset of Yulo.
“He needs to forget his win in the worlds. Stop it. From now on, he has to think of the Olympics. Olympics, Olympics. He has to win the gold,” Carrion said.
No Filipino has ever won a gold medal in the Olympics.
PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said his office has already prepared P500,000 award for Yulo based on the incentives law.
“The board also approved to give him P500,000 more. Who would have imagined a Filipino winning a gold in the world championships?” said Ramirez.
Yulo also stands to get P1 million more from the MVP Foundation.
“Plano ko ibili iyon ng bahay para sa pamilya ko,” Yulo said. “Magiging atleta na rin kasi ang mga kapatid ko, kaya magandang lumaki sila sa maayos na environment.”
Yulo acknowledged it wasn’t always a bed of roses training for more than 3 years in Tokyo away from his family.
“Noong mga unang araw ko sa Japan, nakakaramdam na’ko ng lungkot. Nami-miss ko na’ng pamilya ko,” said Yulo, who once considered quitting.
“ ’Yung training hindi madali. Sobrang hirap. Araw araw naiiyak ako. Sinabi ko sa coach ko na magku-quit na ako,” he said.
But after visiting home and having a heart-to-heart talk with his parents, he eventually continued to train.
“Ngayon target ko nang di maulit ’yung dati. Gusto kong lumaban, gusto kong ipakita na kaya ko po,” Yulo said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
