Problems mounting for Youth Games

The Philippine youth games will start June 7. But where are the participants? Where is the money?

These are two of a number of questions which remain unanswered as 23 national sports associations, now reduced to 17, conduct their own version of the Batang Pinoy, a project of the Philippine Sports Commission, in various venues in Laguna and Manila June 7-12.

Of the 23 which had originally agreed to join the youth games, now named the Kalayaan Games, six had withdrawn while a number are in a quandary on whether to conduct their own tournaments because of financial problems and conflicts with the opening of classes.

The NSAs that had withdrawn are archery, boxing, dance sports, football, golf, and gymnastics. Athletics will hold only the marathon event, while the cycling association doesn't know whether to stage its scheduled event -- the criterion and road race--in Laguna.

The Kalayaan Games was organized last year by NSAs to demonstrate their opposition to the manner the Philippine Sports Commission is allocating public funds and propose an alternate multi-sports event for the controversial Batang Pinoy.

They claim the PSC is putting over 50 percent of the meager funds from Congress and the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. on infrastructure projects and less for the development and training of national athletes.

The core group consists of 14 NSAs which claimed they had not been reimbursed for advances they incurred to send their athletes to train or compete abroad or conduct national tournaments in the country.

While they insisted that they will not request for any form of financial assistance from the PSC, they are facing difficulty producing P.89-M to fund the various tournaments, since it is too late to bring in sponsors.

Each event will be run by the respective NSA in the different municipalities in Laguna.

The basketball association is expected to conduct a tournament since it is mandated to have one, which will serve as an elimination phase for the World Youth Games. The baseball association is also conducting its own elimination tournament to choose its representative to the AAA (16-under) Asian baseball championships this year.

The other NSAs, however, are reluctant to join the youth games because, aside from the money problems, they don't see the point in holding a similar multi-sports event after the Palarong Pambansa which ended last week.

"The students are tired, I don't see the point why they have to play again in another Palaro," said an NSA official.

PSC chairman Carlos "Butch" Tuason said it is too late in the day to extend financial help to the youth games because of a policy requiring NSAs to submit their requests at least three months before the event takes place.

"We are glad to see that they (NSAs) can be self-sufficient. We always encourage them to help us by being self-sufficient," said Tuason, referring to the organizers' own decision not to rely on PSC for financial support.