Ardina clarifies Olympic golf uniform issues

Olympian Dottie Ardina addressed a viral social media controversy regarding the lack of proper uniforms for Philippine golfers during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ardina clarified that she had no choice but to purchase her own competition attire as provided uniforms were either non-compliant with IOC rules or did not fit properly, and she stuck patches of the Philippine flag onto her store-bought shirts using double-sided tape.

She emphasized that despite logistical issues, they managed to compete in appropriate attire on their last day but highlighted the difficulties faced by athletes due to poor communication and planning between officials and athletes.

Ardina expressed hope for improvements in future competitions, stressing the need for better communication between officials and athletes, and cited examples of opposing golfers questioning her uniform during competition.

The National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) cited logistical challenges involving customs and suppliers as reasons for the uniform issues, but Ardina felt they were unfairly blamed.