PSC, Chinese officials work out sports accord

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain met with visiting Minister Li Jizhian of the State Sports General Administration of China Saturday as both agreed on a partnership that is expected to benefit local sports.

Buhain discussed bilateral agreement with the Chinese official focused on sports where China is a world power.

Among the sports targeted by the PSC top honcho are wushu, diving, fin swimming, table tennis and gymnastics, which would involve training, competition, coaching and sports medicine.

For his part, Li sought the support of the top government sports agency for their move in pushing for the inclusion of wushu to the 2003 Olympic Games in Beijing.

"The PSC is 110 percent supportive of this move as we believe that the inclusion of wushu to the Beijing Games will provide us another avenue and boost our bid to earn for the country the elusive Olympic gold," Buhain said.

The Chinese sports official, likewise, was very supportive of the partnership being forged by Buhain and has invited the PSC chief to Beijing for final talks and possible signing of a memorandum of agreement this April.

Li was accompanied by Chinese Wushu Federation president Li Jie, Chinese Olympic Committee deputy secretary general Liu Baoli and Ambassador Wang Oun Gui during the meeting.

Buhain was with PSC commissioners Leon Montemayor, Ambrosio de Luna and Michael Barredo as well as Wushu Federation of the Philippines Honorary chairman Francis Chan and president Julian Camacho.