“Trabaho ninyo na tulungan sila. Iresolba at ibigay mga pangangailangan nila. Pagaanin ang pinapasan nila. Hindi para ipitin at mas pahirapan pa sila!,” Go remarked towards concerned officials and organizations mandated to help national athletes. 

Go specifically expressed disappointment over the decision of the Philippine Athletics and Track and Field Association (PATAFA) to drop pole vaulter and Tokyo Olympian Ernest John ‘EJ’ Obiena from its National Training Pool of Athletes. 

“Yung national athletes natin ang focus niyan ay magbigay ng panalo at dangal sa pamilya at sa bansa. Nagpapakahirap yan para maghanda at maging mahusay sa kanyang larangan,” Go said.

“Huwag natin ipaproblema sa kanila yung mga isyu na pwede naman pagtulungan ng mga opisyales, mga organisasyon, at mga propesyunal na inatasang suportahan ang Philippine team. Kaya nga nandito tayo para tulungan sila. Hindi para dagdagan pa ang iniisip nila,” Go expressed. 

As chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, Go emphasized that he has seen the struggles and difficulties athletes have to endure especially amid an ongoing pandemic. 

Unless the matter is resolved, Go warned that the Senate would launch an investigation to determine whether or not there were lapses on the part of the government or the athletics body.