INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE will start drawing up a blueprint for a national training center in Tarlac in its bid to host the 2014 Asian Games.

“Hosting the Asian Games is the main target,” said POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., who committed to donate five hectares of the vast 6,400-hectare Hacienda Luisita owned by the Cojuangcos for the projected billion-peso training center.

Cojuangco said the design and layout would commence within the week, a plan which he hopes will meet the standards of the Olympic Council of Asia, the organization that awards the hosting of the Asian Games.

“I will meet the architect this week to finalize the details of the training center,” said Cojuangco. “We will work on the details until the final phase so we could start the construction right away.”

The POC has received a $50,000-pledge (roughly P2.4 million) from the OCA to fund the development plan. Cojuangco said OCA president Ahmad Al-Fahad made the commitment during their meeting at the OCA headquarters in Kuwait a few months ago.

Once the development plan is mapped out, Cojuangco said the POC will propose a budget for the construction of the NTC before the International Olympic Committee.

Cojuangco met with IOC president Jacques Rogge and IOC director on NOC (national olympic committee) relations Pere Miro earlier this year reportedly giving the assurance to help finance the highly-expensive NTC.

“Everything will take off within the week. It will be the POC’s main concern aside from the preparation for the SEA (Southeast Asian Games) Games,” said Cojuangco.

The idea of hosting the Asiad in 2014 was first broached by Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping five months ago during a key visit on several training facilities in China.

Angping said the PSC could spruce up the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex by turning the 70-year-old sports facility into an ultra-modern training center for the Philippines to host continental and global competitions.

“Maybe the POC could take the lead. Once we begin the blueprint, the project will definitely push through as planned,” said Cojuangco.