Major collegiate leagues heed call

The major players of the country’s collegiate leagues showed up yesterday to support the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) quest to step up its grassroots development program.

Before a solid turnout of attendees from the major collegiate leagues across the nation that included the UAAP and the NCAA as well as those from Cebu, PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez assured everyone that the government is driven to lend a hand.

“We’ll see how government can help as our mandate is to take charge of grassroots development aside from also helping tertiary sports,” said Ramirez during the first day of the two-day consultative meeting at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Ramirez guaranteed all schools that attended that the PSC will lend its expertise in sports science through its numerous linkages with foreign outfits like those in Korea and the US.

Apart from the UAAP and the NCAA, others who heeded the PSC’s call include the NAASCU, PRISAA. FESSAP and the NCRAA as Ramirez calling yesterday’s affair “a great celebration.”

While it is not the PSC’s primary goal, the creation of a national sports collegiate federation also occupies a prime spot in the PSC’s agenda.

“Imagine the top schools in the country vying for national recognition,” said Ramirez, stressing that should the collegiate stakeholders form a unified group, the PSC will be ready to provide assistance of all kind.

Meanwhile, Ramirez bared that Dennis Uy, the Presidential Adviser for Sports, has agreed to take charge of feeding the country’s athletes.

“Mr. Dennis Uy, a philantrophist, is ready to take this role and handle the feeding here at Ultra and even at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex,” he added.