PSC NAKATUTOK SA GRASSROOTS; ELITE SPORTS PATULOY NA SUSUPORTAHAN

TUTUTUKAN ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Board ang grassroots sports development programs nito, habang patuloy na susuportahan ang national athletes na sasabak sa major international events.

“It is our goal to touch every single province in the country, and provide a comprehensive program for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” pahayag ni PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann sa kanyang pagbisita sa Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum nitong Martes sa Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Ayon kay Bachmann, magdaraos ang ahensiya ng tatlong regional competitions para sa Philippine National Games sa fourth quarter ng 2023 at national finals sa first quarter ng 2024.

Samantala, idaraos ng Batang Pinoy ang regional legs nito sa third quarter ng 2024 at national championships sa 2025.

“We have to make sure our grassroots sports programs go in the right way. Our goal is to eliminate the gap of grassroots to the elite, and that is through connecting them to the national sports associations,” sabi pa ng sports agency chief.

“It is building a career path for all these athletes. If we did this in Cebu, if we can replicate it all over the Philippines, we cannot only have one Hidilyn [Diaz], one [Elreen] Ando, we can have probably fifteen of them with the right program,” wika ni Commissioner Edward Hayco, na sinamahan nina fellow Commissioners Bong Coo at Fritz Gaston.

Ibinahagi rin ng PSC officials ang kanilang karanasan at pagsusuri sa katatapos na kampanya ng Team Philippines sa 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, binigyang-diin ang mga pagbabagong kailangang gawin ng PSC.

“I don’t want the PSC to just be the funding arm to our elite level athletes. We really have to get involved in working with the Philippine Olympic Committee, see common ground and understand each sport and its NSAs. We should take full responsibility in caring for our athletes,” sabi ni Bachmann.

Ayon sa chairman, bubuo ang PSC ng isang task-force kasama ang POC sa pagbuo ng komprehensibong criteria bilang suporta sa national athletes na sasabak sa 19th Asian Games sa China sa darating na September.

-CLYDE MARIANO