SABLAN, Benguet – The municipal government will be working on the improvement of its sports development program to discover more athletes from the different barangays who will be fielded in various local, regional, national or even international competitions.
Mayor Alfredo Dacumos said that the impressive performance of the local government’s volleyball team in an ongoing tournament shows that there are young athletes who are in the barangays that need to be discovered through the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive sports development program by the local government.
He added that there is a need for the municipal government to come up with the necessary programs to allow the potential athletes to demonstrate their talents and be discovered by the local government to be given the appropriate exposure through the town’s participation in future sports tournaments.
However, he admitted that the town’s basketball team did not do well in the ongoing tournament but there is always room for improvement once other potential athletes will be included in the pool where future athletes to represent the municipality will be chosen from.
Mayor Dacumos pointed out that the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive sports development program will surely contribute in inspiring and motivating the youth to be actively involved in various sports disciplines away from vices.
According to him, the problem with some of their athletes is that they are good in sports but they are also good in drinking liquor since it is their pastime and this affects their performance in ongoing competitions.
He asserted that it is also important for the municipal government to regularly conduct sports competitions within the locality to allow athletes to develop their skills and talents in their chosen sports discipline as part of the municipal government’s overall program.
The mayor added that incentives should also be provided to athletes who can bring honor and pride to the municipality with their wins when they participate in local, regional, national or even international sports competitions so that they will be motivated to aspire for such prestige in the future.
He disclosed that former varsity players who are employed by the municipal government will serve as the trainers of young athletes from the town’s barangays so that they will be motivated to do their best to excel in the sports discipline that they opt to join.
He stipulated he will request the concerned offices of the local government, in partnership with the municipal council, to craft the comprehensive sports development program and to enshrine the same in an ordinance to concretize the sustainable implementation of the program beneficial to young and upcoming sports enthusiasts from the different barangays.
Sablan is a fifth-class town in southwestern Benguet bounded by the nearby municipality of Tuba and Burgos in La Union. By Dexter A. See