Recah, as per your request. I have the concept paper but I need to link up with Senator Jaworski and find out what he thinks about my proposal. I’d appreciate your help to secure a feedback from Sonny Jaworski ASAP because if he agrees, we can hold the first tournament on Sept 19 to 21 in celebration of the UN International Day of Peace. Thanks a lot.
“I believe it is the duty of those who lead to nurture excellence, integrity, and honesty among others … Alam niyo, yang word na “honesty”, malamang sa basketball nagsimula yan dahil kapag naglalaro tayo ng one-on-one, two-on-two or three-on-three sa mga barangay, hindi naman laging may referee. Hindi ba naglalaro tayo ng honesty?” These were the inspiring words of Filipino basketball legend Robert Jaworski when his number 7 jersey was retired on July 8, 2012.
Jawo also said that he dreams of playing in, or seeing a league, where “there are no referees.”
The Big J’s dream was realized when on Sept 21 to 23, 2012, the Institute of Youth Sports for Peace (IYSPeace) of Foundation University, in celebration of the “International Day of Peace” organized the “First Futsal for Peace Sans Referees” tournament participated in by children and youth under 18 years old. The event was envisioned to experiment if a formal tournament conducted without the direct intervention of futsal referees was feasible.
When Fiba Asia decided to use the 3X3 basketball to promote its grassroots program and identified the Philippines to lead the campaign in Asia, IYSPeace, in support of the program organized the “First Visayan Girls & Women Tagutlo competition,” whose mission was to create greater awareness for gender equity in sports and the need to address adolescent reproductive health because the Philippines, among Asean, has the highest incidence of teen pregnancy.
Recently, IYSPeace organized successful competitions in 3X3 basketball, volleyball, football fives or F5 (the new name for futsal), badminton and sepak takraw under a program called “Kabataang Isport Makabayan” or youth sports for country, envisioned to promote patriotism, pride, partnership and peace.
To launch successfully a sports reformation campaign requires a personality to lead and provide the credibility for the public, especially the children and youth, to believe in the worth of the undertaking.
Thus, we thought that a program to be called “Robert Jaworski 3×3 Walang Referee” could be launched in partnership with the government. The FU Tagutlo project is currently sponsored by the PCSO and its F5s by the PSC and PFF.
Perhaps, such partnership can be arranged between Robert Jaworski and government entities and other private agencies that support sports.
Dr. Perry H. Mequi, Founding Director, IYSPeace Foundation University, Dumaguete City