PSC: More int’l stints for young PH athletes

CHAIRMAN William Ramirez of the Philippine Sports Commission will push for more international exposure for outstanding athletes from the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy Games.

“These top athletes from the Batang Pinoy and Palaro should face quality competition at the international level,” said Ramirez. “Send them overseas not once or twice, but as many times as possible to polish their skills at an early age.”

The Batang Pinoy is the PSC’s talent-discovery program for athletes 15 years and younger while the Palarong Pambansa is a school-based multisport competition featuring the best performers in the elementary and secondary levels.

“If you want an Olympic medal, I suggest we send them out more often,” said Ramirez. “Other countries bring their athletes to the world’s best training facilities.”

He cited China and New Zealand, among others, as the countries that continuously send their young athletes abroad to vie in tough competitions.

“It will cost a lot,” said the PSC chief. “But you should do it if you want to have a potential gold medalist and an excellent coach. I want to strengthen our international sports linkages by continuously sending our athletes overseas.”

The gold medalists in the Batang Pinoy are now vying for medals in the Children of Asia Games in Yakutsk, Russia.

They are also being nurtured to compete in the 2017 Asian Youth Games in Indonesia and 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.