By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Make no mistake, former Gintong Alay Project director and now Laoag City Mayor Michael Keon is helping with the selection process for the next chairman and commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Keon said they are looking at people who understand the sport, who are young, articulate, intelligent and have studied sports technology.
“I’m helping in ways I can to shape up Philippine sports,” Keon said.
At the moment, President Bongbong Marcos, who is Keon’s cousin, has already appointed bowling legend Bong Coo as one of the four commissioners.
While Philippine sports is doing well in certain disciplines, Keon said focus should also be on excelling on the collective system as a whole that include improvement in long-range programs, training, proper exposure and talent scouting.
A revival of the Gintong Alay program, which Keon directed in the 1980s and produced legendary athletes such as the late Lydia de Vega-Mercado, is a smart idea.
The Gintong Alay is a national sports program launched under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos aimed at conducting an educational and fund campaign to develop track and field first, before expanding to 17 other sports.
“The system has to be strengthened. For example, in talent scouting, we have so many potential local athletes out there that remain undiscovered,” Keon said.
“We have to focus on improving Philippine sports as a whole.”
