LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor Amado I. Espino, III, on December 9, awarded Php181,500 cash incentive to 157 young Pangasinense athletes who harvested 33 gold, 28 silver and 24 bronze medals for Team Pangasinan during the Batang Pinoy (BP) – Luzon Qualifying Leg held on October 21-27 in Vigan City.
Espino, assisted by Provincial Sports Development and Management Council Executive Officer Modesto Operania during the awarding ceremony held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center, rewarded each gold medallist with Php1,500 cash incentive, while each silver and bronze medallist received Php1,000 and Php500, respectively. Winning coaches each received Php1,000 cash incentive.
“Ang kinabukasan ang iniisip naming para sa inyo. Naway kayo ay maging mga responsableng anak, mag-aaral at Pangasinense,” Espino told the athletes during the awarding of cash incentives, stressing on the cause of his provincial administration’s extensive promotion of sports development which coincides with the youth development thrust of the province.
Elated with the performance of Team Pangasinan in BP – Luzon Leg, ranking over-all 2nd runner-up in a field of 295 participating contingents which were sent by local government units, Espino vowed to strengthen further the sports development program of the provincial government via the launching of the Pangasinan Sports Academy (PSA).
The PSA, as the backbone of sustainable sports development program in Pangasinan, accommodates initial 171 athletes who will be trained by experts under 14 sporting events to include: athletics, archery, arnis, basketball, boxing, taekwondo, chess, swimming, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, karatedo, volleyball, and sepak takraw.
Team Pangasinan actually needed only one gold medal to barge into a runner-up finish behind NP – Luzon Leg top winner Baguio City which hauled 49 gold, 45 silver and 44 bronze medals. Laguna Province which edged Pangasinan for second place bagged 34 gold, 20 silver, and 26 bronze medals.
It can be recalled that prior to the BP Luzon Leg, the provincial government conducted a weeklong in-house training for the participating athletes at the NRSCC.
Espino led the send-off ceremony of Team Pangasinan on October 19.
By: Mark Gerry Naval Oblanca
