Butch Ramirez sees need for grassroots sports

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission chair Butch Ramirez believes the country will need to strengthen its grassroots development program for the country to win its very first Olympic gold medal. And it’s the reason the PSC is pulling all the stops to achieve this goal.

“It is the dream not just by the President (Duterte) and myself but also by all Filipinos to win our first gold in the Olympics,” said Ramirez, who will be one of the guests of honor during today’s opening of the Visayas Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Iloilo Sports Complex here.

“For us to do it, we have to really invest on the youth and grassroots development, he added. “If we can’t accomplish it during our time, at least we can say we planted the seeds now.”

Ramirez will be joined by his commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxie, Celia Kiram and Arnold Agustin along with gracious hosts Iloilo City Mayor Joe Espinosa III and Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. as they usher in this weeklong event that will be participated in by 3,000 in and out-of-school youth athletes aged 15 years and below.

The participants will come from 67 local government units across the region including traditional Visayan powerhouse Cebu City, which ruled the Visayas Leg last year in Dumaguete City after raking in 46 gold, 59 silver and 69 bronze medals.

A total of 572 coaches and 135 delegation officials will accompany the athletes who will vie for 1,260 medals at stake including 420 golds in 20 sporting disciplines.

“Almost everyone is accounted for,” said Batang Pinoy national secretariat head Jon Jon Fortaleza in a press statement.

While the games will be officially ushered in today, action in most fronts including centerpiece track and field and medal-rich swimming at the Iloilo Sports Complex starts tomorrow.

Other sports to be played are sepak takraw, softball and volleyball at the Central Phl U Gym, chess, basketball and table tennis at the Iloilo Sports Complex covered gym, archery and futsal at the West Visayas State University field, taekwondo at the Robinson’s Pavia, beach volleyball at the Joe III Garden, badminton at the Jaro Gym, baseball and lawn tennis in La Paz, and boxing at the Dungon Jaro covered court.