Guardo sets aside P1 million for sports

Former Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman Jonathan Guardo is setting aside P1 million to help finance the stint of Cebuano athletes in various local and national competitions.

The funds will be made available through the Guardo Sports Foundation.

Guardo, who left from his post as chairman of the CCSC early this year, is reiterating his promise to continue helping Cebuano athletes, aside from sponsoring and organizing sports activities in different barangays.

"It has always been part of our company goals to reach out to the community through sports. And we will continue to do so in the coming years," said Guardo.

Guardo has been continuously supporting Cebuano athletes like the Siso siblings, John Francis Largo, Team Cebu City-Table Tennis and TCC Dancesports in their regional and national competitions.

Out of the P1 million, P500,000 will go to mountainbike series, which will kick off in the next few months. Guardo Sports recently staged the first leg of its mountainbike series last May.

Badminton tournaments will be allocated P100,000, basketball will have P250,000, and another P100,000 will go to the annual Osaka-Guardo Anniversary Run set this October.

Aside from mountainbike, Guardo Sports was also able to hold a badminton and tennis events last March and various basketball tournaments in different barangays.

"This is our way of helping the community, through sports. We are also very grateful for the youths participation in all our basketball tournaments last month in the different barangays," added Guardo, who played an essential part in bringing the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) here last year.

During his reign as CCSC head, Guardo played a key role in sending TCC athletes to Cleveland, Ohio for the Children's International Games in 2004 and the Arafura Games in Australia last year.

Meanwhile, Guardo Sports is busy preparing for the Osaka-Guardo Anniversary Run this October. The annual event was cancelled last year due to Guardo's hectic schedule in preparing for the 2005 SEAG. - Rafael S. Alas III