POC and Milo: Terrific timing

Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas walked up to his predecessor, Peping Cojuangco, and both gentlemen shook hands as a sign of reconciliation, the Inquirer reported yesterday.

A report in another paper said Milo launched the Get Your Child into Sports campaign at the Alphaland City Club in Makati.

Both events took place Tuesday.

Call it a happy coincidence, or a perfect alignment, truth is there has never been anything of this terrific sort in the 13 years that Cojuangco had reigned as head of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Not Cojuangco’s fault, of course. At the same time, it’s easy to say the happy incidents could help signal the dawning of a bright new era in Philippine sports.

Milo has been involved in sports development for many years.

A statement from the health drink firm says around 30,000 kids aged 7 to 12 years are drawn yearly to the Milo summer sports program, now on its 35th year.

“Sports is a great teacher, this is where a child falls, gets lessons in life, where he has to stand up on his own two feet and never give up,” explained one Milo sports executive.

The program involves coaches and instructors, with experience and achievements in local and international tournaments, who will train the kids. Sports to benefit from the program include badminton, basketball, bowling, chess, fencing, football, futsal, golf, gymnastics, ice skating, karatedo, lawn tennis, swimming, table tennis, touch rugby and volleyball.

Meanwhile, up there at the POC headquarters at the University of Life compound in Pasig City, POC president Vargas thanked and praised Cojuangco.

“I acknowledge the things he has done for Philippine sports and I will always look forward to his support,” Vargas stated.

Vargas could’ve also thanked Milo and other firms involved in national sports development. But it would be truly great if he could use his office, in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, to have programs of the Milo kind to be fully national in scope and touch far-flung areas, mainly in Mindanao.

As Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol pointed out in his keynote message during the Philippine Sportswriters Association awards night at the Manila Hotel, there are countless future champions and medalists in obscure localities waiting to be tapped and discovered.