PSC seeks bigger budget in ‘24 for athletes, facilities

By Peter Atencio

mann following his discussions with lawmakers in Congress and Senate last week.

The agency will have a new Executive Director in Paolo Francisco Tatad to help run the daily activities of the PSC.

Corporate Social Responsibility, Para Sports, Laro’t Saya, and the Philippine National Games.

THE first practice sessions of Jordan Clarkson and members of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team will happen on Wednesday at the Meralco Gym.

Clarkson and the Gilas squad arrived in the country separately on Tuesday.

The Utah Jazz star and his entourage planed into Manila in an early morning flight.

Later in the afternoon, the Chot Reyes-coached Philippine team came home, just hours after Gilas pulled off a 63-48 victory over an Iran B Team to finish its campaign in the 2023 Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament on Sunday at Xiaoqing Sport Center with three wins and a loss.

With Clarkson around, Gilas will have 16 days more to prepare for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where the Philippines takes on Dominican Republic in its first game on August 25.

The Philippines is bunched with with the Dominican Republic, Angola and Italy in Group A.

“I think we got a good chance,” said Clarkson on the Philippines’ bracketing.

During the final stretch of its preparations, Gilas will have a pair of friendlies with Mexico and Montenegro.

Clarkson last played for Gilas in August last year during Window 5 of the Asian Qualifiers.

Members of the Gilas pool who went to Xiaoqing were June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena, CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Thirdy Ravena, Rhenz Abando, and AJ Edu.

NBA hopeful Kai Sotto is also expected join the Gilas practices this week. Peter Atencio

PSC chairman Richard Bachmann is keeping his fingers crosses that Congress and the Senate will approve his efforts to have more funds for Filipino athletes, from P2.2 billion this year to P4 billion in 2024.

The funds will help the PSC improve the facilities that it is managing -- the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, the Philsports Complex in Pasig City and the National Teachers area in Baguio City.

“With this year’s budget, nothing went to facilities. All went to events and programs,” said Bach-

Tatad is coming in to replace Atty. Guillermo Iroy, who stepped down during a revamp in the government sports agency.

Tatad, who used to be part of ABSCBN’s Human Resources department, will help the PSC streamline its activities.

“For the past years, he (Iroy) gladly stepped in as acting ED. Now that we have a complete lineup, we can move forward,” said PSC chairman Richard Bachmann.

The PSC is currently taking care of 10 programs, which includes Women in Sports, Indigenous Peoples Games,

Olivarez gets back at Arcilla, duels

ERIC Jed Olivarez finally put one over top seed Johnny Arcilla, hacking out a 6-3, 6-3 victory even as Charles Kinaadman dispatched Alexis Acabo, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinal round of the Rep. Edward Hagedorn Open National Tennis Championships at the Karawatan PPS Playground in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Tuesday.

Olivarez practically wore down the 43-year-old Arcilla in a baseline duel on a fast surface, breaking him right in the second game of the opening set and fighting back from a bungled service turn in the fifth with another break in the sixth. The fifth-ranked ace then held serve twice to seize control.

Arcilla, who beat Olivarez twice in the finals to sweep the Lanao Open series last month, traded serves in the first six games in the second set but dropped the seventh in shutout fashion and Olivarez went on a held-break finish to complete the victory and dethrone the multi-titled campaigner.

The third-ranked Kinaadman, on the other hand, cut short Acabo’s surge with also

The agency is also developing its programs in the Philippine Sports Institute, the Philippine Sports Training Center and the Regional Training Centers.

Bachmann said the agency is now getting ready for the staging of the 2023 Philippine National Games and the Batang Pinoy National Championships.

No venue has been set yet for the games slated from Dec. 17 to 22. Twenty disciplines will initially make up the list of events which will be part of the meet.

This includes archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, 3x3 basketball, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, esport, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis and sepak takraw.