PSC says foreign coaches must train local counterparts

Starting this year, foreign coaches will not just be busy training national athletes but Filipino coaches as well.

The Philippine Sports Commission will now require foreign coaches under its wings to produce training modules, which should benefit the local coaches since they are being groomed to take over in the future.

PSC chair William "Butch" Ramirez said this will be in line with the Philippine Sports Institute, the agency is planning to establish next month. The Institute will not only offer academic courses for athletes but also coaching and training courses as well.

"We will invest on our local coaches," Ramirez said.

Of the 16 foreign coaches under contract, six have expired contracts.

However, the contracts of American Purvis Granger of bowling and Chinese Zhang Dehu of diving have been extended because their athletes performed well in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games where RP emerged as the overall champion for the first time since 1977. Two more contracts are being evaluated.

Meanwhile, the PSC will hold a Sports Summit dubbed as the Philippine United Sports Conference on Feb. 15 at the Philsports Arena.

Ramirez said the one-day event is geared towards harmonizing all the country’s sports development programs that includes the Palarong Pambansa and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) games.

The PSC and the Department of Education will also convene on Jan. 11 to discuss the Palarong Pambansa, the annual multi-sports event tentatively set this summer.