AFTER 17 long years, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Paralympic Committee have renewed their agreement for the promotion, development and inclusivity of local sports in the country.
“It is a re-forging and strengthening of our collaboration and relationship with the Philippine Olympic Committee,” said PPC president Mike Barredo after the signing of the agreement with POC president Bambol Tolentino during the formal opening of the new Tagaytay CT Velodrome last Monday in Tagaytay City.
He said he reached out to his POC counterpart to renew the ties for present and future collaborations between the two sports bodies, like what he did with POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco.
“Considering the high level of playing now and the fact that most international sports federations are both in the Olympic and Paralympic programs, it is good that we will work hand in hand with the POC and the National Sports Associations involved,” added Barredo, who was accompanied by PPC secretary general Goody Custodio.
He said the wide-ranging agreement would have “broad strokes,” including the use of the Tagaytay CT Velodrome building, whose floor area can be used for other sports purposes.
“We can use this new facility, for example, for the training of our para athletes and perhaps hold some of our competitions here as well,” Barredo said.
With para cycling among the sports in the Paralympic program, “we can certainly use the expertise, techniques and skills of our friends in the cycling federation to make our para coaches and para cyclists perform better.”
He said the agreement with the local Olympic body is similar to what the PPC did in signing a separate deal with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas with SBP executive director Erika Dy as the signatory.
“In the case of the SBP, it is our goal to work hand in hand towards the development and strategic direction in the development of 3×3 and 5×65 wheelchair basketball,” he said, adding that they hope to follow the Gilas Pilipinas template to bring local wheelchair basketball to a higher level.
Given the golden successes of weightlifter Hidylin Diaz and gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo in the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, respectively, Barredo expressed hope that their luster would rub off on the country’s national para athletes.
“We hope that Hidy and Carlos will inspire our local para athletes and we hope that our physically-challenged campaigners can inspire our able-bodied ones as well,” he said.
