THE integration of the grassroots programs of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Private Schools Athletic Association will be on the agenda of the PRISAA National Congress that will be held from Thursday to Saturday at the UST-Legazpi campus in Legazpi, Albay.
Organized by PRISAA national executive director Elbert Atilano in coordination with PSC Commissioner Ed Hayco, who oversees the government agency’s grassroots sports program, PRISAA’s regional directors nationwide have been invited to the two-day meeting on the sidelines of the PRISAA Congress.
“Hopefully, we will be able to come up with a comprehensive grassroots program by tapping the network of PRISAA schools spread all over the country,” said Atilano, noting they have members in practically all 17 regions nationwide.
“I am excited with this development and, hopefully, it will create a significant impact on the quality in raising the standards and quality of our athletes nationwide,” said Hayco.
As former Cebu City Sports Commission chairman, Hayco was deep into grassroots sports. Among the products of that program are weightlifters John Fabuar Ceniza and Elreen Ann Ando, who are both eyeing to compete in the Paris Olympic Games in July.
Atilano and Hayco said part of the plan is to send sports coaches, who have had specialized training, of the PRISAA member schools in various disciplines to scout and train promising athletic talents in their respective communities.
“Eventually, some of these athletes who have potential would be recruited by these PRISAA schools where they can develop further,” Atilano explained.
Hayco said is one of way of “decentralizing” the training of potential national athletes instead of letting them come to Manila.
“We want to approach grassroots programs in a strategic and tactical way,” he explained.
He cited as examples Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidylin Diaz-Naranjo and Ando, who were first identified and developed by their respective local private schools at the Universidad de Zamboanga and University of Cebu, respectively, before becoming elite national athletes.
Also expected to be discussed during the three-day PRISAA Congress will be the staging of this year’s PRISAA National Games that Legazpi City will host later this year.
Atilano said is confident the city where the famous Mayon Volcano is located would be able to stage the meet well after it successfully hosted the national Palarong Pambansa in 2017.
