NEW Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala aims to address several priorities in the coming days as the 11th head of the government sports agency, including the completion of the PSC’s five-man board.
“Completing the (PSC) board, that is important. We have to have a full board to begin work. Of course, this does not mean nothing will go on,” noted Eala yesterday.
“We understand the legalities behind the appointments but we are hopeful we can have a functioning board soon,” Eala added, although he said he had no inkling who would be the three commissioners the Palace would appoint to complete the PSC board.
Eala made known his sentiments shortly after his predecessor, Butch Ramirez, turned over the helm of the agency during the weekly flag-raising ceremony held in front of the PSC administration building inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
In his first appearance before the PSC staff after stepping down last June, Ramirez urged his former staff members to rally behind Eala, saying: “Chairman Noli Eala needs our help, our support. For, if he succeeds, the Philippine Sports Commission will succeed, and Philippine sports will succeed.”
Aware of the hectic international schedule ahead for the country’s national athletes in 2023, Eala said all their needs must be met.
“We are really focused on ensuring that all our athletes are getting prepared for the competitions next year. There are a lot of requests for support from the PSC. We are reviewing it already and hopefully we can have the budgets all approved,” he said.
“We will begin to make sure that our (national) athletes are very, very competitive, that they get enough for their training heading to next year’s competitions,” he stressed.
Also on top of Eala’s agenda is a meeting with Philippine Olympic Committee President and Tagaytay Mayor Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, revealing they were scheduled to hold a dialog over dinner last night.
“That is a meeting that I have wanted and we will have it tonight over dinner together with some of the POC board members,” he said.
“Nag-usap na kami ni (POC) president Bambol and he agreed to sit down with us. He has assured me of his support. I have assured him of my cooperation and, of course, of my commitment to the NSAs and to the POC,” he pointed out. “I’ve known president Bambol for a very long time and believe that we will be able to work very well together.”
Eala stressed he had no delusions of outperforming Ramirez, who achieved several milestones under his watch, highlighted by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Summer Games last year.
“I don’t have any intention of competing with chairman Butch in terms of his record. They are very big shoes to fill,” he noted. “All I want is to build on his gains and make sure that we are able to complete the mandates of the PSC.”
But he said he did not mind picking the former’s chairman’s mind “to get more of his (Ramirez’s) vision so that our work will be much easier. My talks with chairman Ramirez have been very refreshing.”
Eala will also continue the PSC’s grassroots programs that will be extensive in partnership with various agencies; give the national athletes their benefits and make sure they will be provided with everything they need to be successful; select the best parts of Project Gintong Alay and make sure they are modernized to the current times; and ensure equality in support to regular athletes and para-athletes.
