Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) president Dakila “Dax’’ Cua urged all local officials to construct and establish additional sports facilities at the grassroot level to help “nurture the Olympic dream’’ of the country.
"Grassroots development is a crucial aspect in sports. We at the local level certainly can help nurture the Olympic dream by allocating funds for inclusive facilities that can house multiple sports and training implements," Cua said.
By creating more sports facilities nationwide, Cua asserted that this is essential in contributing to the early identification of talent and providing aspiring athletes with a place to hone their skills.
"As these Olympics have shown, there are potential stars in the provinces. By having multi-sports facilities, we can unearth more athletes who will bring pride and joy to the country,’’ he added.
By building of more sports facilities, Cua stated that “we will be promoting a culture of health and wellness that will benefit the people in our communities.’’
The ULAP chief also proposed linking athletes to government health facilities to ensure they get treated and rehabilitated for injuries as soon as possible.
"We can further democratize the medical and rehabilitative aspects of sports, especially for athletes in our national teams, by linking up with government hospitals,’’ Cua stressed.
Instead of going overseas for the “dedicated’’ rehabilitation from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Cua affirmed that Filipino athletes may just be treated in the local hospitals to save time and costs.
Cua also thanked the Filipino Olympians for their valiant efforts during the meet.
"Our Olympians are valiant heroes who have united and inspired us through their exploits. Taos-pusong pasasalamat hindi lang kina Carlos Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, at Aira Villegas, kundi sa buong contingent sa paglaban at pagbandera ninyo ng ating bansa (A heartfelt thanks not only to Carlos Yulo, Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, but also to the whole contingent for their fight and gallant efforts for the country),’’ Cua said.
The Philippine contingent to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games garnered four medals with Yulo garnering the “historic’’ double gold in artistic gymnastics and boxers Petecio and Villegas bagging bronze medals.