A sports head in every barangay  

By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr. 

 

I’M making this piece on October 25 Friday, three days before the barangay election so we are on a pre-election mode – “It’s tension time,” as the saying goes in sports competitions, like the last two minutes of a basketball game or the last round of a boxing bout if the score is too close to call.

For the first time since the youth council was founded during the regime of the former dictator President Ferdinand E. Marcos that was then called Kabataang Barangay (KB) and now called Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), our lawmakers suspended the election of the youth congress for at least a year. The SK played a major role in youth and sports development in the village and will have to be missed by sports aficionados because for sure sports activities in the entire archipelago will likely be greatly reduced if not totally removed.

To me every barangay must have a sports leader like what they have in China. As we all know, China is very rigid in implementing its policies especially in youth and sports programs. It’s no wonder that it became the overall champion in the 2008 Olympic Games dislodging U. S., this in addition to it dominating the Asian Games for four decades now. They’re no longer the ‘sleeping giant’, that’s for sure.

China’s sports village development for the youth is making a lot of difference. They have a sports leader in every village, holding frequent competitions purposely to discover new potential talents, and if found, they are subsequently enrolled in their Sports Academy to prepare them for higher level competitions. They are hardworking and more disciplined people than most with successful capitalist economy, outclassing (now) the Americans.

We should follow China’s policies in developing our athletes. They start them young, including those who are out-of-the-school, even in their remote villages. They never neglect to appoint a sports head in the village and in all succeeding levels up to the highest. That’s exactly what we should be doing now that the SK is gone (for the time being).  The barangay captain should appoint a knowledgeable sports head to continue where the SK left off. This sports leader handle not only the youths’ but the activities of the middle-aged and the aging citizens too, priority being given to the young because they’re the hope of the state.

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Congrats to the University of Luzon Golden Tigers for winning this year’s PRISAA Metro-Dagupan Inter-Collegiate Basketball crown sweeping PAMMA in the best-of-three series. The boys of Dr. MacArthur M. Samson, Sr. are now ready to clash with the contingent of La Union or Ilocos Sur/Norte for the regional title. And if lucky, the Tigers will represent our region in the 2014 PRISAA National Collegiate Games. Good luck guys and bring home the tiara. And hopefully, too, the Pangasinan volley belles Melanie Carrera and Cassandra Lleda formerly from UL will bring home the diadem of the 2013 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions that unfolded last Thursday in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

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My son Jazy wants to extend his heartfelt gratitude to Engr. Rodolfo “Boy” Dion for helping him during his stint in the just concluded Tour of Matabungkay in Batangas. The four-day bikefest for executive riders was dominated by the bikers from Australia, Europe and USA.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” MATTHEW 24: 6-8

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