Two of Cebu City Sports Commission’s (CCSC) grassroots sports development programs will be the main topic in a seminar slated March 17 at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) office in Manila.
The two programs are the ongoing Barangay Guba Running Program and the planned Walkathon Mountain Barangays Grassroots Program.
PSC chairman Richie Garcia recommended that the CCSC’s programs should serve as a model for other local government units around the country.
“His (Garcia) advice is to get into a walkathon program since the country doesn’t even have a walkathon team. It’s a sport that isn’t so popular but can get these kids to become future members of the Philippine walkathon team, a ladder and a step to getting to compete into the Olympics,” CCSC chairman Edward Hayco told Cebu Daily News yesterday.
The Barangay Guba Running Program is being overseen by Cebu City’s top female runner Joy Tabal. The walkathon program was suggested by Garcia.
“We will always emulate the Kenyans as our model. They are impoverished, no track oval or even running shoes but they easily made it into the Olympics due to their natural conditions that unknowingly afforded them the natural training environment,” said Hayco.
“Unlike city kids where you can only find one or two out of a hundred who have the potential to become good runners, in the mountain barangays it’s 80 out of 100 who can be potential running medalists,” he added.
Garcia recommended the adoption of the CCSC grassroots sports development program as the template for all grassroots development programs in the country when officials from Dagupan City went to the PSC office to ask how to run a grassroots sports development program.
“Instead of Dagupan only, mayors and officials of other cities interested to adopt Cebu’s grassroots program will be invited for the seminar on March 17,” said Hayco.
“We are preparing our presentation since it is very specific and detailed. We have to present timetables, grassroots organizing up to the sustaining of the program,” he added.
CCSC’s current grassroots development programs also include the Bakbakan sa Sugbu which features various mixed martial arts.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
