THIS should serve as a stern warning to erring sports officials, who continue to make life difficult for Filipino athletes.
“Aaksyionan ko talaga ‘yan. Basta may sumbong ang mga atleta, iimbestigahan natin at parusahan ang dapat maparusahan,” vowed Philippine Sport Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez, in response to a call that athletes should report irregularities in their respective National Sports Assocations.
Ramirez spoke before more than a thousand athletes and coaches during the PSC-sponsored fellowship dubbed “Pagmamahal sa Inang Bayan-Sports for Change” at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Saturday night.
He assured the athletes of extensive support from the government as they carry the flag in international competitions.
“We need young heroes who will speak the millennial language of sports and to inspire our children. In Cuba they say ‘love of country or death’. Mahirap bang mahalin ang ating bayan? Kaya bang mahalin ang inang ibayan,” Ramirez dared the athletes.
To do that, however, Ramirez knows the athletes should be unburdened of other worries, including abuses of their own officials. “Wala na tayo sa feudal state. We are bringing change to sports and that we will make sure our athletes will be treated as heroes,” he said.
In his previous statements, Ramirez said there are a lot options for the PSC to make sure the NSAs shape up.
“We can always exercise our monitoring and supervisory powers. If we find out that a certain NSA is not using our support well, we can always withdraw financial support. Or we can directly give our support to the athletes,” Ramirez said.
Almost all sports were represented in the fellowship night that also aimed to boost the morale of the athletes who will compete in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August.
Among those who were present to give the athletes a lift were many-time bowling world cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno and multi-title chess grandmaster Eugene Torre.
Torre called on the young athletes to instill in their minds the love for country first.
“Sama-sama tayong ipakita ang pagmamahal sa sports and inang bayan. ‘Pag nauna ‘yan, lahat ng pagod at sakripisyo ay hindi natin mararamdaman. Sapagkat ang una sa puso ay para sa bayan iyan,” said Torre.
