Spirit Sports program boost to RP athletes

MANILA, Philippines - Sports philanthropists Paul Monozca and Jean Henri Lhuillier announced in a press conference yesterday their partnership to help the “Spirit Sports program” aimed at bringing Filipino athletes in the global world.

The program, an initiative by the Dr. AB Monozca Foundation and the Monaco-based Spirit Fund, which reportedly have stakes in US sports properties such as the American Basketball Association and the Arena Racing Co., had its official launching at the Makati Shangri-La graced by La Salle top official Bro. Bernie Oca and race driver Mike Potenciano.

The Spirit Sports is created to serve as gateway of Filipino athletes to professional sports in the United States.

“Cebuana Lhuillier has been serving the Filipino overseas for years. With over 10 million of our countrymen in different parts of the globe and the desire for every Filipino to be part of the world stage, the Spirit program brings dreams to reality. We are proud to be part of a program which uplifts the spirit of humanity through sports,” said Lhuillier.

“We are pleased to announce the entry of Mr. Jean Henri Lhuillier to the Spirit program. We are humbled to be in partnership with him and our shared vision to bring the Filipino athlete global,” said Monozca.

Monozca said the program is also supported by the La Filipina Uygongco Co, SM Supermalls, Makati Shangri-La Hotel and other leading corporations in the Philippines together with various philanthropists worldwide.

Under the program, over 20 Filipino elite athletes will benefit from athlete exchange program and an additional 200 will benefit from scholarships in the next five years.

A future endeavor of the Spirit program is the Parmon Institute of Sports (PIS), a network of schools handling sports management.

The institution will be built around the need of athletes and sports enthusiasts to build career around what they do best.

The Spirit program will also have syndicated episodes on local television which will cover the tryouts and drafting of basketball players to the ABA and racers to Arena Racing and NASCAR. The reality show series has been dubbed as the “American Idol of Sports.”

With the acquisition of the majority stake in the ABA Global joint venture, the Spirit Fund has committed itself to the development of global basketball business with the ABA in 15 countries encompassing all commercial aspects in media, merchandising, licensing and events.

On the Spirit Fund’s entry into the Arena Racing Co., the Philippines has been made part of the 2011 Arena racing calendar. An exhibition race is set late this year at the Mall of Asia grounds with 10 Filipino drivers to be chosen to compete in the US-based professional racing circuit.

The Arena Racing Co. is the development circuit of the National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR).

Monozca, based in Singapore for close to 20 years, is the Spirit program founder.

He started his career as the head of sports marketing for Gatorade and a stint in Siemens for the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team.

After training with a New York-based private banking firm, he moved into PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world’s largest financial advisory firm and became senior executive for its financial services and investment banking arm in the Singapore Asia Pacific office.