The Philippine Sports Commission highlighted the importance of passion among sports leaders and coaches in establishing a concrete grassroots program and discovering new talents during the National Grassroots Sports Summit held in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental.
“What’s most important among coaches and leaders here is the passion you have. Being an ordinary coach can create an extraordinary athlete in the future,” said PSC commissioner Edward Hayco.
Assigned lead commissioner for the agency’s grassroots initiative program, Hayco is continuously roaming all corners of the country to deliver the agency’s commitment in intensifying its agenda as mandated by the constitution.
The sports summit has already taken place in Legazpi City, Cagayan de Oro City, Pagadian City, Angeles City, Tuguegarao City, Zamboanga City, and recently in Bacolod City. The next edition will come to the sports stakeholders of Kidapawan City in Cotabato
Among the key topics discussed in the summit were the blueprint of the local grassroots initiative within Iloilo City and the relevant legal basis that can be used by leaders and coaches for lobbying partnerships with their local government units.
Comm. Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston also shared the same sentiment as he also graced the latest summit conducted in STI West Negros University.
Over in Zamboanga City, the summit prior to the Bacolod leg, around 1,200 attendees came from different associations such as members of the Private Schools Athletic Association, Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association, and local government officials.
Hayco stressed the PSC’s willingness to provide technical support, with the help of national sports associations, among all coaches to fully equip them with the right formula of building up the likes of Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and Gilas Pilipinas bigman June Mar Fajardo.