The NCAA Management Committee (MANCOM) has discussed the possibility of having weightlifting as an event in the collegiate level recently, but it doesn’t mean its entry would be easy.
The topic was brought to the attention during a MANCOM meeting after it was suggested by no less than weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who gave the Philippines its first gold medal following her stint in the Tokyo Olympics.
However, there are things to be considered for the sport to be part of the oldest collegiate league in the country.
First step is the intention of the national sports association of weightlifting, the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP), to have the sport in the NCAA and then the second step is its willingness to spend and stage the event for three straight seasons.
“That’s the process of the NCAA,” said Peter Cayco of Arellano University in a telephone interview with Manila Bulletin Wednesday, August 18. “These two are very important.”
Cayco said in the three years that a new sport is added to the NCAA calendar of events, it would be played as a demonstration sport. After that, the MANCOM will make recommendations to the Policy Board if that sport should continue as a regular event.
In the recent years of the NCAA, badminton and soft tennis were the two sports added to the regular events after going through the process of as three-year demo sports.
“These sports went through the process before they were accepted by the NCAA,” said Dax Castellano of College of St. Benilde.
Another important thing for weightlifting to proceed should its NSA decide to try staging an event in the NCAA is the requirement to have a mandatory of four schools participating in the tournament.
Not only that.
Participants should come from all divisions – men’s, women’s and high school.
“Because it’s a grassroots development program, students/athletes from high school should be included,” said a source.
While the NCAA is open to the possibility of adding a new sport, an official from its counterpart – the UAAP – expressed reservations on adding another event to the league even in the coming season.
The official, who asked not to be named, said that there are other sports in the UAAP that schools are not participating in. For instance only five schools are in fencing action – although the sport is not mandatory in the UAAP.
The mandatory sports in the UAAP are basketball and volleyball where the eight schools are required to field in teams. In the NCAA, the mandatory sports aside from basketball are swimming and athletics.
“Before thinking of adding a new sport, think of joining first the other regular sports,” said the source.