FORMER Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez will formally turn over the helm of the agency to his successor, Noli Eala, during the PSC’s weekly flag-raising ceremony at 8 a.m. today at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Chairman Butch will be present during the flag-raising ceremony and will officially hand over the reins of the PSC to chairman Noli,” Commissioner Bong Coo said yesterday. “Chairman Ramirez has confirmed he will be present during the flag-raising ceremony.”
A former PBA commissioner and SBP executive director, Eala was sworn into office as the 11th chairman of the government sports agency at Malacanang last Aug. 31 and reported for work and met with key PSC personnel, led by Coo and Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., two days later,
In a statement issued last week, Eala said that under his watch the PSC would “seek to ensure sustainability of the success of our programs for the long term. I will carry out the mandates of the PSC to develop and promote sports in the grassroots as a tool towards nation building and unity.
“We will ensure full and enhanced support for our national athletes in their continued quest to bring honor and glory to the country.”
He added the PSC “will continue with programs that will further strengthen our sports initiatives. We will create pathways for all to get involved in sports while ensuring that elite athletes are provided with all they need to be successful.”
The former sportscaster will have huge shoes. Ramirez, during his second stint as PSC chairman, local sports and national athletes made great strides over the past six years.
Ramirez’s term was ushered in by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz breaking a 20-year medal drought in the Olympic Games when she won a silver medal in the women’s 53-kilogram division in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Serving as another highlight of the former chairman’s term, Diaz surpassed that accomplishment by winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Summer Games last year, ruling the women’s 55-kilogram class.
Led by Diaz’s golden feat, Filipino campaigners also had their best performance in the Tokyo Games with boxers and Olympic rookies Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio bagging a silver medal each while Felix Eumir Marcial added a bronze to the collection.
During the administration of Ramirez, the country regained the overall championship in the 30th Southeast Asian Games at home three years ago with a glittering all-time best tally of 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals.
The Philippines also had one of its best finishes in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia with four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals.
In an outstanding display of “Woman Power,” Diaz, golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go and skateboarder Margie Didal, making her Asian Games debut, all accounted for the mints won by the Philippines in the 2018 Asiad.
Last August, the national para athletes achieved their best finish in the 11th Asean Para Games in Surakarta, Indonesia, placing fifth overall with 28 gold, 30 silver and 46 bronze medals despite the lack of exposure and hampered training caused by the pandemic.
The PSC also aggressively pursued its talent identification and development programs such as the Batang Pinoy National Games and Philippine National Games and supported the Palarong Pambansa until these meets were suspended for the last two years due to the nationwide lockdowns.
Date: September 5, 2022 | By: Bong Pedralvez | Newspaper: Malaya | Source: https://malaya.com.ph/news_sports/ramirez-turns-over-psc-helm-to-eala-today/?fbclid=IwAR3wuJOpr7BCFdcRAoFWCNf1btI8V3owyyKd6uoxqipASWe0_pMbWC2UB_E
