The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hopes that more collegiate leagues will follow after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) included Olympic sports in its calendar of events in Season 101.

PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio told DAILY TRIBUNE he would like to see more collegiate leagues, including the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), help in boosting the country’s sports program by adding Olympic sports to their respective calendars.

More young athletes are expected to take up weightlifting, boxing, gymnastics and golf after the NCAA added them as demonstration sports in the second semester of its ongoing season.

“If I have to plead, I will plead because this is for Philippine sports,” Gregorio, a known Univerity of the Philippines Fighting Maroons supporter, said.

“I hope they will make it easier for us because I know this is a sincere plea to really support the development of Philippine sports and to introduce Olympic sports at the collegiate level.”

Should colleges and universities decide to include Olympic sports in their calendars, they don’t have to look far in searching for the best young talents.

The Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy, two of the biggest grassroots competitions in the Philippines, have a lot of athletes trying their luck and hoping to get recruited by prominent schools. 

In fact, some schools in the UAAP like De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines already have golf teams who are competing in various events like the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour. 

Gregorio said they are ready to help the NCAA to make sure that the staging of demonstration sports will run smoothly.

“They need the resources to put this all together, so I need the support of the national sports associations involved. We need the support of the NCAA schools and then, the PSC is there to make sure that we support them financially because they deserve it,” Gregorio said.

“Come to think of it, the NCAA is already great. But for them to push it to the next level and for them to realize that from grassroots to world, from world to greatness, our philosophy, our desire to help Philippine sports is really aligned.”