CORPORATE SPONSORS and individuals who will act as sports godfathers will be tapped by the First Gentleman Foundation to help train the athletes who will represent the country in next year’s Southeast Asian Games.
This was one of the salient points agreed upon by the Medalyang Ginto Executive Council of the FG Foundation during its meeting last Wednesday at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
The Foundation will also call on patriotic Filipinos to contribute to the athletes’ cause to ensure the country’s successful staging of the 2005 SEA Games.
The Philippine Sports Commission’s Ramon Suzara, who presided over the meeting, said the involvement of government entities and the private sector in the preparation and buildup of athletes will augur well for the country’s bid to snare the overall championship.
The other members of the council, chaired by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, are former Manila Cong. Harry Angping and Tessa Mangahas of the FG Foundation, Ricky Lagoc of the PSC, Steve Hontiveros and Nestor Ilagan of the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sportswriters Association president Jimmy Cantor.
The beneficiaries of the FG Foundation campaign, led by all 49 gold medalists in the Vietnam SEA Games last year, will be known as "Batch 2" of Medalyang Ginto beneficiaries.
Pledging sessions will be scheduled in Malacañang in November as a followup to the fund raising drive organized by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo last year that raised more than P20 million for the country’s top athletes. The country’s top 1000 corporations will be invited to the affair.
The list of possible sports "godfathers" are expected to be led by officials of various Rotary Clubs who will be asked to choose which event or athlete they would prefer to support.
Texting would also form part of funding for the athletes, with the Counci agreeing to maximize the popularity of some athletes who could gain support from millions of cellular phone users through downloads.
