The Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines will continue to reach out to the Philippine Sports Commission and other concerned government agencies to help promote the welfare of the student-athletes in the coming 30th World Universiade in Napoli, Italy later this year.
And unlike in the previous Universiades, FESSAP is confident that a win-win solution can be found this time.
"FESSAP will continue to knock on the PSC door for support. Kung para sa atleta, naniniwala ako na hindi sila magkakait ng tulong," said FESSAP executive vice president Robert Calo during the 12th "Usapang Sports" by the Tabloid Organization in Philippine Sports at the National Press Club in Intramuros.
Calo, also the president of the Philippine Inter-Schools, Colleges and Universities, lamented the failure of past PSC and Philippine Olympic Committee officials to give due recognition to 2013 Kazan Universiade gold-medal winner GM Wesley So and two other Filipino medalists in the Universiade.
"GM Wesley (So) made all of us proud with his 2013 Kazan Universiade gold — a first for the country. We have two other silver and bronze medallists, who were also not recognized. Sana hindi na maulit," added Calo in the weekly sports forum supported by the PSC and NPC and shown on Facebook live via Glitter Livestream.
He said the privately-funded FESSAP is determined to send a Filipino delegation in both the Winter and Summer Universiades.
This month, FESSAP will send figure skater Misha Fabian of Ateneo to the 29th Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia on March 2 to 10. She will be accompanied by her Filipino coach Ronan Jay Capili.
The Summer Universiade, considered as the "Olympics" of student-athletes, is scheduled on July 3 to 14 in Napoli, Italy, with more than 185 countries participating.
The Philippines, thru FESSAP, had a very successful record in the last four Universiades since being accepted as a regular member in 2009.
So made history by winning the country's first-ever gold medal with his victory in chess in the 2013 Kazan Universiade.
Taekwondo champion Samuel Thomas Morrison of Far Eastern University captured a silver medal in the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade, while wushu star Jomar Balangui of University of Baguio bagged the bronze in the 2017 Taipei Universiade.
Last Thursday, FESSAP and Calo were also assured of support by the Philippine Volleyvall Federation, headed by Edgardo "Boy" Cantada.
"We fully support FESSAP and their program to support student-athletes and we will try to help in whatever way we can," said Cantada, who joined Calo, former Azkals mainstay and 7s football organizer Anton del Rosario and CBA-Manila team coach Raymond Reyes.