By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Malacañang expressed full support to Filipino athletes competing in various sports disciplines in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In an interview over government-run radio station DzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte expressed the Aquino government’s support to the 11 Filipino athletes who are competing in nine different sporting events at the 2012 London Olympics from July 27 to Aug. 12.

“Buo po ang ating suporta sa inyo (Filipino athletes). Umaasa po tayong magiging maganda ang inyong performance sa Olympics, diyan po sa palakasang ‘yan. At talagang marami pong nanonood at marami ang sumusubaybay, at sana po maging maganda talaga ang performance ng ating mga atleta,” Valte said.

Team Philippines participating in the 2012 Olympics are Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting, women’s 58 kg), Jasmine Alkhaldi (swimming, women’s 100 m freestyle, Jessie Lacuna (swimming, men’s 200m freestyle), Brian Rosario (shooting, Skeet), Tomohiko Hoshina (judo, men’s +100kg), Daniel Caluag (cycling, men’s BMX), Mark Barriga (men’s boxing, light flyweight), Marestella Torres (athletics, women’s long jump), Rene Herrera (athletics, men’s 3000m steeplechase), Rachelle Anne Cabral (archery, women’s individual) and Mark Javier (archery, men’s individual).

The flag-bearer for the Philippine delegation during the opening ceremony was 21-year old weightlifter Diaz from Zamboanga City, who is participating in her second Olympic Games.

The Philippine contingent for the Olympiad was the smallest delegation in the history of the country’s participation in the quadrennial sporting event since 1932.

The Olympic Games is considered as a major international event and the world’s foremost sports competition that features summer and winter sports where thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries participate in various disciplines.

The Games are currently held biennially, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, meaning they occur every four years within their respective seasonal games.