Philippine sports will experience a rebirth under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go yesterday assured the people that national athletes will be given special attention when the Duterte administration enters its third year in office.

He said the goal is to emerge as overall champion in the 30th Southeast Asian Games next year and win the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020.

In fact, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is already looking at sending athletes to train in Japan to acclimatize and prepare them for a triumphant performance.

For the past decade, Philippine sports is on a steep decline.

After copping 113 gold medals to run away with the overall crown in the 23rd SEA Games, the performance of the athletes in the prestigious biennial meet is in an all-time low, sliding to sixth place in 2007 in Thailand, fifth in 2009 in Laos, sixth in 2011 in Indonesia, seventh in 2013 in Myanmar, sixth in 2015 in Singapore and sixth again in 2017 in Malaysia.

In the Asian Games in South Korea in 2014, the Philippines managed to draw only one gold medal courtesy of a Filipino-American BMX rider.

Go said the President is willing to put an end to this misfortune.

“It is safe to say that our sports program will experience a renaissance during this administration and we’re all excited for it,” Go said, stressing the President recognizes the importance of sports in nation-building.

Duterte has been a sports advocate since assuming the presidency in 2016.

He appointed a well-known sports official in William Ramirez to sit as chairman of the PSC and made sure that national athletes will all be properly taken care of.

That’s why when the country was given the marching order to host the 30th SEA Games, Mr. Duterte made sure that it would push through despite all the challenges and adversities.

“The Duterte administration recognizes the importance of sports in nation-building,” said Go, who has been President’s top aide for the past three decades. “Not only do our athletes, like Sen. Manny Pacquiao, give us national pride each time they compete and triumph internationally, sports is also instrumental for the government to instill discipline in our youth to keep them away from societal ills like illegal drugs, criminality and other dangerous vices.”

“Sports is also a training ground for future leaders and nation-builders whose values and principles are founded on perseverance, discipline, teamwork, integrity and love of country,” Go said.

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