President urges bold thrust for mass sports

BACOLOD City - President Estrada mandated yesterday his "co-workers in government to extend support and inspiration to all our children athletes," put an end to elitist sports and pursue an aggressive sports program for the broader masses instead of destroying Philippine sports through the politics of intrigue and corruption.

The President, already besieged by news of dissension in Philippine sports, gave the urgent message - and ultimatum - as he opened the first Palarong Pambansa of the third millennium in front of over seven thousand athletes and officials at the Pana-ad Sports Complex at the heart of Sugarlandia yesterday.

"Sports is a good channel for us to reach these young children and imbue in them the good values of sportsmanship - fair play, nationalism, sense of pride, camaraderie, discipline and teamwork. These are the very same values that will carry the country to a higher level of prosperity," he said.

He said Executive Order 81, which transfers the sports functions of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports to the Philippine Sports Commission, and the implementation of mass-based programs such as the Batang Pinoy and Palaro ng Bayan are important aspects of a truly mass-based sports program.

"I am taking the initiative precisely to equip the PSC with the needed mandate of sustaining the sports agenda of the national government through the implementation of mass-based sports programs and activities," he said.

He said mass-based programs must have the youth as their primary targets since they constitute the pool from which the country draws the talents for future international competitions.

"We must recruit fresh talents and widen the pool of our young athletes. We must assume a more pronounced role in international competitions, which is why we must give attention to developing our local sports programs at ages lower than 12 years old," he added.

He also urged the PSC, the DECS, Philippine Olympic Committee as well as the various national sports associations, to "work harder and cooperate to help in the development of Philippine sports."

"Kailangan po nating magkaisa at iwasan ang pamumulitika sa larangan ng sports, itakwil na muna natin ang mga hidwaan at intriga na hindi naman nakakatulong kundi nakakasira sa matibay na samahan ng Philippine sports community," he added.

Thirty-one of the 41 NSAs were represented in the opening ceremonies to demonstrate their support to the President and were later scheduled to meet with the President in an exclusive meeting at a downtown hotel.

Before he declared the Games open, the President also announced incentives of P1-M each to the overall champions in the elementary and secondary categories of competition but this will be in the form of sports equipment and education scholarship assistance.

The national and junior record breakers will also win P50,000 worth of equipment and educational assistance.

The President also gave a Malacañang counterpart of P20,000 for the gold medalists, P10,000 to the silver medalists and P5,000 to the bronze medal winners in the recently-held Pan Pacific Games in Australia. The winners earlier received their cash incentives from the PSC.