POC lauds backers of Olympic fest

The Philippine Olympic Committee yesterday launched the second edition of the Philippine Olympic Festival that would put in focus the role of the LGUs (local government units) in the POC’s talent-identification program and preserve the gains of its inaugural staging last June.

Slated to kick off with the Mindanao divisional meet in January next year, the POF is expected to gather more than 10,000 athletes and officials representing more than 30 disciplines, including 18 Olympic sports.

"The POF will be like a locomotive, an engine that will pull a lot of projects of the POC," said POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. at the Milky Way in Makati.

The POC also announced the appointment of IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing, media and entertainment company, as the exclusive sales and marketing agency for the POF for 2007 and 2008, and Globe Telecoms as chief sponsor.

"IMG’s vast experience in the Olympics and sports marketing here and abroad and the help of Globe, which supported us in the 2005 Manila Southeast Asian Games, will surely be crucial factors in the successful staging of the second Olympic Festival," said Robert Aventajado, who chairs the POC and the POF organizing committee.

Marcus John, senior vice-president of IMG for the Asia-Pacific region, said the Olympic Games is a powerful marketing tool, the main reason they’re supporting the event.

"The Olympics is all about stirring people’s emotion, it’s a very exciting and powerful brand," said John.

A contract-signing formalizing the partnership of the POC, IMG and Globe in the Festival was also held. Negros Navigation was also tapped as one of the sponsors.

POC president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. was present in the signing along with Aventajado, John and Globe executives Ferdinand dela Cruz and Dodo Reyes.

As envisioned from the start, the POF will be a joint undertaking of the POC, the LGUs and the NSAs (national sports associations).

"With so many untapped talents in the countryside, we are confident we’ll discover potential champions during the festival," said Cojuangco.

Cojuangco said that the second POF will also serve as part of the training of the potential Filipino athletes who will compete in next year’s Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

"The POF will give our sports system a sense of direction with the POC and the LGUs taking an active role in identifying talents," said Aventajado.

Once a potential athlete is identified, the POC will come up with development program with funding from the Olympic Solidarity, the POC and the private sector.

"While we are already preparing for the SEA Games and the Beijing Olympics, the POF also has its sights on the development of potential medalists for the London Olympics in 2012," said Aventajado.

Aventajado also said the POF hopes to sustain the success of the first POF by continuously providing avenues for competition as well as continue to build stronger ties with the various NSAs and LGUs.

The gold, silver and bronze medal winners in various age-divisions will gain berths in the national games where they will be joined by the members of the national pool.

Lanao del Norte will host the Mindanao divisional on Jan. 8-14, 2007 while the Visayas games will be held Jan. 22-28 in Antique City. Camarines Sur will stage the Bicol/Southern Tagalog games on Feb. 5-11, Ilocos Sur will host the Northern Luzon regionals on Feb. 26-March 4, while the NCR (National Capital Region) games will be held March 19-25.