PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino on Monday lauded the national women’s football team for booking a historic stint in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“The POC congratulates our women’s football team for making world football history,” said Mr. Tolentino a day after the Filipinas shocked Chinese Taipei, 4-3, in a pulsating penalty shootout at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India on Sunday night.

The effort also sealed the National lady booters a berth to the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asia Cup, which was another breakthrough feat.

“We won our first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last July — adding two silvers and one bronze — and then this in football,” said the congressman from Tagaytay and PhilCycling chief.

“Filipino athletes have been leveling up and are putting the country prominently on the world sporting map,” he added

Mr. Tolentino also praised the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) under president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and secretary-general Edwin Gastanes for having accomplished what looked like an “impossible dream,” noting that “we are not a football-loving nation,” he said.

“These two gentlemen of sports have painstakingly brought Philippine football up there, not to mention that they hold or held sensitive positions in the POC,” said Mr. Tolentino, referring to Mr. Araneta who was chef de mission to the Tokyo Olympics where weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz won gold and boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy A. Petecio clinched silvers and Eumir Felix D. Marcial bagged bronze. — Joey Villar

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