PSC to focus on nat’l athletes’ training

Development of a new generation of sports heroes will be among the top priorities of the Philippine Sports Commission in the year 2002.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Carlos Tuason said the PSC will intensify its Summer Youth Training Camp for outstanding participants in key national sports competitions.

Tuason said the third session of the camp was concluded recently at the Marcos Stadium in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

To date, the camp has extended intensive training and seminars in sports leadership, values formation and psychomotor skills development to more than 200 outstanding winners and contestants of the Batang Pinoy and the Millennium Palarong Pambansa.

Related to this, Tuason reported that implementation of bilateral sports agreements forged by the PSC with the Australian Sports Commission and the Chinese Ministry of Sports will be among the body’s top priorities in the year 2002.

Tuason said the agreements provide, among others, training, competition, technology and equipment, coaching seminars and sports medicines for athletes and coaches.

Tuason said the PSC had succeeded in working for the passage of Republic Act No. 9064 or the "Sports Benefits and Incentives Act" which provides huge incentives to athletes who brought honor to the country in past and future international competitions.

He also said the third leg of the Second Batang Pinoy or Philippine National Youth Games has been successfully concluded in Bacolod City.

Created by Executive Order No. 44, Tuason said Batang Pinoy aims to develop and strengthen the spirit, mental and physical health of children 12 years old and below through national sports competitions.

To strengthen the commission’s campaign for the welfare of children, Tuason said the commission staged the Palaro ng Batang Lansangan with no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor.

On assistance extended by the PSC, Tuason said the PSC has released P250 million to 47 national sports associations from January to December.

The money, Tuason said, went to monthly allowances for athletes and coaches, food subsidies, equipment, uniforms, including training preparations, international exposures and expenses for the country’s participation in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games.