President Rodrigo Duterte gave P1 million each to three athletes who recently brought gold medals for the Philippines.

Duterte gave incentives to gymnast Carlos Yulo, boxer Nesthy Petecio and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena when they called on him in Malacañang on Wednesday.

Yulo won the gold medal in the floor exercise during the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany last Saturday, securing him a ticket to 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Petecio also emerged victorious in the 2019 AIBA Women’s Boxing World Championship featherweight division in Russia last Sunday. She vowed to win gold in the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games and qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Obiena was the first Filipino to qualify for the biggest quadrennial sporting event after he won in a competition in Chiara, Italy last month.

Olympian weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and boxer Eumir Marcial, who won silver medals in their respective recent competitions, also called on Duterte. They received P500,000 each. Celerina Monte/DMS