Pedestal ng Philippine Sports, nakasalalay sa matatag na programa — Ramirez.

MAHABANG panahon na ang pinaghintay ng sambayanan para sa kauna-unahang gintong medalya sa Olympics.

Suntok sa buwan ang pagkakataon at nitong 2016 Rio Games, nakasungkit ng bronze medal si weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz – sa kanyang ikatlong pagsabak sa quadrennial meet.

Apat na taon mula ngayon, nakatuon muli ang sambayan sa katuparan ng pangarap para sa minimithing tagumpay sa itinuturing ‘Greatest Show’ sa balat ng mundo.

Akari Sports wala pang balak pasukin ang PBA

At sa pangangasiwa ng bagong Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Board, sa pangunguna ni Chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez, puspusan ang paghahanda para maging kompetitibo ang atletang Pinoy sa 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Bilang pundasyon, pormal na ilulunsad ng pamahalaan ang Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) sa Enero 16 sa Multi-Purpose Arena ng Philsports Complex (dating ULTRA) sa Pasig City.

Ayon kay Ramirez, nakalatag na ang inisyal na programa para mapangalagaan ng PSI ang mga atletang may potensyal na maisabak sa Tokyo Games.

Iginiit ni Ramirez na sapat ang ‘resources’ ng PSC para makakuha ng mga dekalidad na personnel na may kakayahan at kaalaman sa mga aspeto na kailangan para matukoy, maihanda at masanay ang mga piling atleta tungo sa pagiging kompetitibo at tunay na world-class.

“We will be hiring more people. Definitely every time our national athletes compete internationally, we will send a full team of sports medicine personnel to support them,” pahayag ni Ramirez.

Kasama rin sa tinutukan ni Ramirez ang sports cooperation program sa Japan upang makapagsanay at makapaghanda ang atletang Pinoy sa training center sa Tokyo bago ang Olympics.

“This way our Olympians will acclimatize ideally during the time of Olympics, between August and September, they will travel in Tokyo, to be able to get used to the weather, the people, mode of transportation and traffic, the life style there, so by 2020, our athletes will be there earlier, I think this will be the earliest, we are talking here of months, or minimum of 6 weeks,” sambit ni Ramirez.

“They (Olympians) will be in Tokyo before the Olympic starts, we will not be bringing athletes in just a matter of hours before they compete in the Olympics, this time we will plan it out carefully we will give them the support that they need. That is just the initial salvo of PSI in 2020 Olympics,” aniya.

Ipinahayag ng PSC na naglaan ang pamahalaan ng P25 milyon kada buwan bilang budget sa PSI, kabilag na rito ang pagbili ng makabagong kagamitan, pagtatayo ng satellite training venues, education at seminars sa mga PSI personnel.

“PSI will have its mark in the field of sports science support to our elite athletes. PSC has earmarked big amount to purchase equipments that will help athletes in their training, better equipment in our Strength and Conditioning Gym. We will have more diagnostic equipment for them to help injured athletes. And even help their training,” paliwanag ni Ramirez.

Iginiit naman ni PSI National Training Director Marc Edward Velasco na inihahanda na ang pagimbita sa mga international sports science expert para matulungan sa pagbalangkas ng tamang programa para sa atleta.

“This time around we are not limiting ourselves to PSC premises, we are going out: (we have) Russia, China, the Koreans are actually reaching out to us asking us how they can help us,” pahayag ni Velasco.

Aniya, handa rin ang PSI na kumuha ng serbisyo ng mga batikang foreign coach para sanayin ang mga atleta at local coach partikular sa fencing, shooting, rowing, at gymnastics na may malaking potensyal ang Pinoy.

Nakipagkasundo rin ang PSI sa University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics at sa United States Sports Academy para makabuo ng educational curriculum program para sa mga nagnanais na gawing propesyon ang sports.

“In other countries they put emphasis in sports because they know that sporting excellence does not only cost money but personnel, resources, it cost them science, not only in the elite but also in the grassroots (level). I think PSI is the medicine maybe the Philippine Sports need,” pahayag ni Velasco. (Edwin Rollon)