PSC Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, speaking at yesterday’s SCOOP sa Kamayan, said one of the central objectives of this project is a talent identification program which will be launched at the beginning of the new year.

This program will select athletes to be elevated to elite status and will be given all-out support to so they can reach their full potential.

"Preparing a winning team in the Olympics is a tremendous task," said Ramirez who was joined at the forum by POC President Jose Cojuangco Jr.

Ramirez said winnability, toughness and competence will be attributes they will be looking for in an athlete to undergo elite training.

He said an athlete must not only be competitive but also willing to commit himself or herself to the sport full-time.

But Ramirez said the success of this program does not rest on the athlete or sports officials alone. Its success, he said, will depend largely on having a sufficient budget that is robust to sustain the continuing needs of the project.

For instance, he said, money is needed to hire competent coaches, be they local or foreign. Money is also needed to get the right equipment.

Officials must also be united in the pursuit of this goal and the government must likewise be committed to see the whole program through with its support, moral and financial;.

"Compared to other countries, kulang talaga ang unified sports program natin. But if we can utilize our limited resources and build bridges to gain enough support, all these are possible," he said.

Cojuangco agreed with the stated objectives of the PSC chief.

"We’re already making a definite plan and program of looking at athletes’ potential medal chances. They must also have a strong commitment to their respective sports," said Cojuangco. "Once we’d seen their capabilities, we can now focus on the sport itself whether or not it can measure up to the other world-class competitors."