MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Swimming League yesterday appointed Dr. Victoriano Tirol III, vice president of the University of Bohol Advance Learning Center, as PSL Region 7 director.
PSL president Susan Papa made the announcement following her visit to Tagbilaran, Bohol where a 50-meter, 10-lane state-of-the-art swimming pool is being constructed inside the university campus as part of the school’s long-term sports education program.
Tirol, who holds a master’s degree in education, said the university will serve as the regional training center which will train and develop young swimmers from the grassroots in Region 7.
The training center will be inaugurated with a swimming competition organized by the PSL.
“We will stage a big competition as soon as the swimming pool is finished this year with the help of PSL, which is ready and committed to organize it,” said Tirol.
Tirol is vice president for administration of the 66-year-old university founded by his father, lawyer Victoriano Tirol, a retired DepEd director of Region 7.
With the construction of the pool, Tirol said the university aims to form a strong, competitive varsity team for the Palarong Pambansa as well as national and international competitions.
Palarong Pambansa medalist Patrick Birad, 13, is a product of the UB team under coach Vincent Indig.
Region 7 is one of the various regional offices already established by the PSL as national swimming federation for schools of the Federation of School Sports Associations of the Philippines (FESSAP).
FESSAP is the recognized country member of the International School Sports Federation (FISU), which organizes the University Games or Universiade, the Olympics of school sports, with over 166 member countries.
The UB is setting up a sports center as part of its overall thrust of providing a solid foundation for students’ sports education in the province and in the region. Papa said the sports hub is also part of the school’s contribution to sports tourism in the province, now famous for the Chocolate Hills, Panglao Beach Resorts and various dive sites.