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RUSSIAN SHRINKS FOR RP ASIAD TEAMS

Manila, July 21, 1998 - Russian sports psychologists are coming to the Philippines to help Filipino athletes prepare for the Asian Games in Bangkok.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Tuason confirmed that the Philippines has requested the Russian Embassy for three to five sports psychologists specializing in specific sports events.

"We haveto have our athletes physically and mentally redy. The psychological factor is very important in sports and sometimes people overlook that," Tuason said.

A major reason for hiring Russians instead of Americans, Tuason said, is economic: the Russians charge less.

The psychologists will be distributed among the teams with prospects of wining medals, like boxing and combat sports.

The language barrier, however, is seen by a few observers as a drawback. "When we had Russians helping us in the past, we could not understand each other.As a matter of fact, it even confused some athletes."

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