Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairperson William “Butch” Ramirez gave Asa Miller a seal of confidence on the eve of the young alpine skier’s campaign in men’s giant slalom in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 13.
“I am confident Asa [Miller] will be skiing his very best at the Beijing Olympics, knowing fully well that he’s proud to wear the country’s colors on the biggest winter games stage,” Ramirez said on Saturday, Feb. 12. “I wish Asa all the luck and at the same time reminding him that the pressure of the Olympics should not take him off his focus.”
Ramirez reminded Miller that it took 16 years for weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz to finally win for the country its first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo last July.
“Hidilyn was only 17—and a wild card entry—in her first Olympics in Beijing 2008. She returned in London 2012 and won silver in Rio 2016,” Ramirez said. “Finally, after four Olympic cycles and enormous hard work, dedication and love and passion for her sport and the country, she did it in Tokyo.”
Ramirez was PSC chairman during Diaz’s first Olympics and returned at the helm of the government’s sports agency when the pride of Barangay Mampang in Zamboanga City clinched silver in Rio de Janeiro.
“I watched Hidilyn grow and blossom into an Olympic champion and what I saw in her was her discipline and determination to win,” Ramirez said. “For Asa, I am confident that he will carry the same determination, discipline and focus when he competes against the world’s best.”
The PSC chief advised Miller to avoid the pressure of needing to deliver big results this early in his career.
“You [Miller] are young and you’re in your second [straight] Olympics,” he said. “The future is wide open for you and I’m sure, you’ll be in many more Olympics to catch that gold medal.”
Miller, 21, is the country’s sole representative in the Beijing Games.
Ramirez and the PSC board of commissioners will be watching Miller’s campaign on television starting at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. (PR) – bny
