Atienza bares plan to stage regional meets

Holding more regional meets aimed at further tapping the grassroots level will be the first agenda of newly-appointed Presidential Assistant on Youth and Sports Arnold "Ali" Atienza.

The 33-year old sports leader bared his plan to stage tournaments within the countryside similar to the successful Manila Youth Games (MYG) pioneered by the Manila Sports Council or MASCO of which Atienza is the chairman. Now on its fifth year, the MYG already has produced young talents presently included in the various national training pools.

"Most of the games are held in Manila, so one of my immediate projects is to hold more regional meets all over the country," said the son of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the main function room of the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila.

"We have programs in MASCO, which, we’re proud to say, have been very productive through the years. So we want the same thing be done on a regional basis and we’ll make them bigger," he added in the same forum sponsored by PAGCOR and Mayor Atienza.

Ali said the regional meets should be made part of the yearly sports calendar to have continuity in the country’s sports program among the youth, which of late has been solely concentrated on the Palarong Pambansa.

He stressed the project will be done in coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs).

But having been appointed by President Arroyo only recently, Atienza has yet to identify where and when the funding of the meets will be coming from.

He also has to straighten out whether his office falls under the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the government sports agency, or vice-versa.

"As of now we don’t have any official order. What I know right now, is that I serve under the pleasure of the President and siyempre, sa mayor ng Maynila," said the 1994 Asian taekwondo champion.

Atienza was named to the post by President Arroyo last April 19, his appointment having been coursed through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor.