Cebu City will be marking another milestone in its sporting history after the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) recently made the Cebu City Sports Commission’s grassroots sports development program the template for all similar programs throughout the country.
CCSC chairman Edward Hayco told Cebu Daily News yesterday that PSC chairman Richie Garcia expressed his desire to make the city’s grassroots program the model for other cities to follow.
“Chairman (Richie) Garcia told me he wants Cebu grassroots to become the template program for other cities,” said Hayco.
Garcia reportedly made this announcement after officials from Dagupan City went to the PSC office in Manila to ask help for their grassroots sports development program.
Garcia, a frequent guest at the CCSC, initially told the Dagupan City officials to approach Hayco and ask the latter to share his knowledge about the successful grassroots program.
But Garcia instead announced that the PSC is making the grassroots program of Cebu the model for all kindred programs in the country.
“Instead of Dagupan, mayors and officials of cities interested to adopt Cebu’s grassroots program will be invited to the PSC’s conference and seminar room this March 17,” said Hayco.
“We are preparing our presentation since it is very specific and detailed. We have to present timetables, grassroots organizing, etc, up to the sustaining of the program,” he added.
RECORD BREAKERS
The CCSC is currently training its focus on the highly-successful Bakbakan sa Sugbu Grassroots Sports Development Program.
Hayco also wants a wider and more intensive approach to the free clinics aimed towards the development of the Cebuano athlete.
“We are firming up the free summer grassroots program. It will be more massive this year. We will have monthly Bakbakan tournaments at the Cebu City Sports Institute for MMA, arnis, weightlifting, karatedo, boxing, chess, table tennis, archery, dancesports and other sports,” said Hayco earlier.
Two products of Bakbakan recently broke weightlifting records in the Batang Pinoy-Philippine National Youth Games National Finals in Bacolod City when Leonida Cambarijan and Evangelito Dale Ceniza donned the colors of Cebu City.
Ceniza, the 15-year-old Pasil Elementary Night School student broke the 63-kilogram record in snatch in the 50-kilogram weight division while Cambarijan set a new mark in the snatch event.
Last year, the CCSC launched weekly free clinics in MMA, arnis, weightlifting, karatedo and boxing with prominent Cebuano athletes and former champions taking charge.
Seeing the positive results, Hayco and the city government added chess, table tennis, archery and dancesports among other sporting events.