GMA endorses Asian Athletics Championships

President Arroyo the other day proclaimed 2003 as the Asian Athletics Championships Year.

Embodied in Proclamation No. 432, the presidential order will boost and enhance the country’s international image as a sports mecca as the Philippines prepares for its third hosting of the prestigious Asian Athletics Association championships slated Sept. 20-23 at the Rizal track and field stadium.

The four-day tournament, highlighted by a congress on Sept. 19, is the biggest and most important sports spectacle to be held in the continent this year. President Arroyo also directed the organizing committee, in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, "to act as the lead agency in planning, disseminating information and conducting the sporting event."

"All heads of departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations and instrumentalities of the government particularly the Philippine Sports Commission are hereby directed to give full assistance to the Organizing Committee of the 15th Asian Track and Field Championships," the presidential proclamation stated.

PSC chairman Eric Buhain, who earlier endorsed PATAFA president Go Teng Kok’s request for a presidential proclamation to Malacañang, said the government sports agency fully supports the intention and objectives of the GMA proclamation. Buhain has announced during the sportswriters forum two weeks ago that P16 million have been set aside as financial assistance for the trackfest which will cover facilities rehabilitation, equipment and the like.

Go expressed yesterday his profound gratitude to the President and said the presidential proclamation will put into place the extensive prepaparations being undertaken by the Patafa in hosting the tournament for the third time in three decades. Buhain also cited the prestige and importance of hosting the 3As tournament where close to 1,500 elite athletes from 44 Asian nations will match each other’s skill and strength.