MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/16 Aug) – This city’s sports program will turn to the grassroots with more up for the youth in barangays.
Christopher Soria, the new city sports coordinator, told MindaNews Thursday they will be organizing more sports events in clustered barangays to help spur sports development in the communities.
“Too much sports activities have been organized in the (city) center,” he said.
He said they have grouped the barangays into clusters to address the economic costs of organizing.
Soria, a young businessman, said the city will lean towards Larong Pinoy and indigenous sports in the communities. But he clarified that there will just be a balance of opportunities as they will also organize “Barangay Olympics” to involve all barangays.
Soria said starting this year, they are also organizing inter-school events in the city as well as inter-city sports events with neighboring Valencia City.
Even with the focus on grassroots sports, Soria said, they will also be a partner in sports tourism, which is led by the private sector.
Soria, however, noted that for 2012, they are hindered with limited budget with only about P660,000 from August to December.
Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri hired Soria in July after the end of contract of Niko Alderguer, who was previously federation president of the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)