Boosting the country’s grassroots sports program will be the order of business of Milka Romero, the youthful team owner of Capital1 in the Premier Volleyball League.

Romero said she wants to help in developing young athletes who will banner the country in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympics as well as other major international events in the future.

“Our biggest advocacy is sports,” said Romero, the first nominee of 1Pacman Party List and one of the emerging sports executives in the country.

“We have grassroots programs where we want to support children in their journey to become an athlete. We have created laws and projects such as the National Academy for Sports and we’re also continuing other programs as well.”

Filipino athletes have made huge strides in the international arena the past couple of years.

After weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz won a breakthrough gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, other athletes followed with boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial emerging with Olympic medals and Ernest John Obiena rising as the second-best pole vaulter in the world.

Recently, gymnast Carlos Yulo became the first Filipino to win two gold medals while boxers Petecio and Airah Villegas capped the country’s successful campaign with a pair of medals in the Paris Olympics.

Romero, the former co-captain of the Ateneo de Manila University women’s football team, said she is thrilled to help sustain the momentum in the country’s sports program.

“I’m so excited,” said Romero, who brought joy to aspiring athletes in Cebu, Olongapo, Bulacan and other parts of the country by helping them in various ways, including staging volleyball clinics.