Tokyo Olympians products of PSC Batang Pinoy, PNG programs
THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has again proven the effectiveness of its grassroots programs after most of its prodigies made history in the Tokyo Olympics.
Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist, is a proud product of the Batang Pinoy (BP) and Philippine National Games (Png)—two youth programs that honed the weightlifting superstar and helped her become an Olympic champion under the management of the PSC.
“These competitions and programs helped a lot in my training. They give awareness.” Diaz told a previous interview with the PSC Public Communications Group.
“The Olympics are the dream of every athlete, but with it comes a big responsibility,” Diaz, who clinched silver at Rio 2016, said, adding “the responsibility of becoming an inspiration for the youth.”
Tokyo Olympics boxing silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and bronze medalist Eumir Marcial are also products of the PSC’S grassroots programs. They went through the PNG and BP regional meets before competing and winning on the world stage.
All four athletes delivered the best-ever Olympic finish for the country with one gold, two silvers and one bronze, thus surpassing the 1932 Los Angeles Games haul of three bronze medals.
“The Filipino youth will go a long way if we continue investing in our grassroots,” PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said. “Taking care of Hidilyn Diaz since her first Olympic campaign [Beijing 2008] shows that developing athletes should be from the ground up.”
Former world champion Carlos Edriel Yulo, weightlifting national record-holder Elreen Ando, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa and rower Cris Nievarez—who made their Olympic debut in Tokyo— were also discovered through the PSC’S youth programs.
“The achievement of these young athletes has affirmed the vital role of strengthening grassroots sports alongside elite sports,” Ramirez said. “Working in unity as one nation will truly lead us to a more promising and brighter future for Philippine sports.”