The Philippine Sports Commission will turn to the internet as it resets its grassroots and elite sports and education programs.
PSC chairman William Ramirez said this as the government sports agency makes adjustments in the wake of efforts to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Teaching coaches and instructing both the aspiring and elite athletes through virtual or online activities will now take centerstage in the coming months.
“We have to reboot our approach on grassroots and elite athletes programs. The framework of coaching education, until no vaccine is found, will all be virtual or online, reaching out to all elite athletes in their own locations,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez believes that this will totally change the agency's perspectives and strategies towards sports development.
“That is how deeply impacting and dangerous this coronavirus is. We have to put up the IT (information technology) infrastructure,” added Ramirez.
The IT infrastructures that the PSC plans to develop involves leadership, coaching, sports psychology and physiology.
He said sports protocols will be made available during the period of general community quarantine.
“COVID-19 will change the face and substance of both amateur and professional sports. Of primary importance is to save lives which is the ultimate goal of society and government,” said Ramirez.
The PSC will also implement several belt-tightening measures.
The measures are meant to ensure that the agency can keep its commitment to continue to support the members of the national team.
The PSC has canceled the staging of many sports activities until December of this year in compliance with directives set by the Interagency Task Force for Infectious Diseases.
So far, the board has withdrawn further financial assistance to the twice-postponed 10th ASEAN Paragames.
The PSC will still honor, though, its previous commitments with the APG organizing committee to cover initial operational expenses.