By Al S. Mendoza
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio was all ears as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his lengthy and well-applauded State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
It was the fifth and penultimate SONA for the President, and like in the previous ones, he found time to show his soft heart for sports.
Briefly, Marcos touched on the heroics of the Philippine athletes on the international stage, mentioning Alex Eala, who has caught the tennis world by storm, and the Philippine women’s football team, a beautiful bunch known as the Filipinas, that earned a second straight stint to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“To our overwhelming support for Alex Eala, we hope many will be encouraged to play not just tennis but other sports as well,” the Chief Executive said.
“The example set by the Filipinas, we hope, will make football more popular so that in the future our country could play in the World Cup,” added the President, who has thrown his all-out support to the Filipino athlete, from one sport to another, through the PSC, the government’s funding arm in sports.
Gregorio, among the many government officials who came to watch, listen to and applaud the President’s SONA, got the message — loud and clear.
“With the President’s steadfast support for sports, the World Cup is not an impossible dream,” said the PSC chairman, adding that if it can be done by the Filipinas, it can also be done by the Philippine men’s team.
Gregorio reiterrated that in sports, anything is possible.
“It will be built on a strong sports industry and a healthy nation. Let’s sustain the momentum and work on these dreams together,” he said after the President’s SONA that ran just under 90 minutes. (Malaya Sports News)
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