Swim head bares four-year program

MANILA, Philippines - After earning a fresh mandate and receiving congratulatory messages from members of the international swimming community, Philippine Aquatic Sports Association president Mark Joseph has bared the group’s plans and programs for the next four years.

Joseph said it’s time to move forward as he bared PASA’s priorities, including an education program for Filipino coaches, a competition system that is expected to create ripples here and abroad, and the continuing development of the elite swimmers.

“We will continue to implement the FINA rules and apply world-class standards in all we do. We will not compromise on the basics of orderly sports development, and continue to meet all our commitments to our partners, sponsors and of course meet all necessary government requirements to ensure that PASA continues to be a sustainable, stable national sports association,” he said.

Joseph received congratulatory messages from FINA (the world’s governing body in swimming) president Dr. Julio Maglione as well as the Asia Swimming Federation (AASF) president Sheikh Khalid Al-Sabah of Kuwait, secretary-general Quiping Zhang from China, vice president Virendra Nanawati from India and Woon Sui Kut of Singapore, known as the “father of swimming” in Southeast Asia.

Joseph also appealed to other sectors of the swimming community to join hands with PASA as it trains its sights to as far as the 2020 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

He announced plans to stage three FINA coaching clinics until 2011, the establishment of a coaching institute and that he will push for higher licences for Pinoy coaches; to institute a tri-level inter-school swimming league, the strengthening of ties with the local government units and the Department of Education, and the full computerization of the PASA programs; to increase the number of swimming scholarships abroad, recruit new talents for water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and open-water swimming, and invest more on the talent identification program.

Joseph, deputy secretary-general of the Philippine Olympic Committee, was elected to a fresh four-year term last week in Mactan, Cebu, along with Luisito Mangahis as vice president, Akiko Thomson Guevarra as treasurer, Ral Rosario as secretary-general and Christian Inigo as executive director.