Marcos vows more support for athletes

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has expressed optimism that the Philippines would perform better in future sporting events as he vowed to boost the government’s support for Filipino athletes.

Speaking during the awarding of incentives to Asian Games medalists in Manila last Wednesday, Marcos said the government is dedicated to fully developing future athletes who would proudly represent the country and is putting up modern facilities to enhance their training.

“We are already doing a lot. But you can be assured that we will increase our support to our athletes and next time, we will see better results in our international competitions,” the President said in Filipino.

“We know and understand that for our athletes to succeed in these competitions, they need all the help they can get, especially from their government,” he added.

Marcos cited the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)’s five-year sports development plan for 2023 to 2028, which seeks to address the longstanding concerns of Filipino athletes and encourage the private sector to support sports development in the country.

The government is providing assistance to state universities and colleges to fix sports facilities, exploring partnerships with the private sector to build basketball courts in public schools, gyms and facilities, encouraging local governments to support sports in their jurisdiction, and developing New Clark City as a sports hub in the Philippines, Marcos said.

“Our national athletes and those training to represent the country in international sports will also utilize the training facilities of the New Clark City Athletics Stadium and the Aquatics Center for free,” he added.

Marcos ordered the PSC to work with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and other agencies to strengthen the medical scientific athlete services unit to help injured athletes recover quickly. He also urged donors who are helping Filipino athletes to continue supporting them generously.

The Philippines finished 17th out of 45 countries in the Asian Games with four gold, two silver and 12 bronze medals.

The country bagged gold medals in men’s pole vault, men’s basketball and women’s ju-jitsu (48 kg and 57 kg), silver medals in men’s boxing and men’s wushu (56 kg). It also harvested bronze medals in men’s BMX race (cycling), women’s ju-jitsu (52 kg), men’s sepak takraw, women’s tennis (singles and women mixed doubles), women’s weightlifting (64 kg), men’s wushu (60kg and 65kg) and men’s taijiquan and taijijian (all-around).

Marcos thanked the medalists for bringing honor to the country, saying they boosted the morale of their countrymen.

“You brought joy to the Philippines. We are facing a lot of things and sometimes, they are saddening. But because of what you have done, the entire Philippines is smiling... The morale of Filipinos is high, especially the youth, those who will become athletes also. That’s a good example. They are our idols,” he said. “They strive for excellence, not just in international and national competitions, but in all that they do.”