Pangasinan Sports Academy to jump start this year

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=965604
• Thursday, February 23, 2017

(PNA), FPV/LVM/LVMICUA/RMA

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (PNA)-- The Pangasinan Sports Academy (PSA) will hit the ground running this year to promote athletic excellence among Pangasinenses who can carry the name of the province in regional, national and international competitions.

In a talk to mediamen on Monday, Governor Amado Espino III said the selection of potential athletes from the grassroots level has already started as he promised collegiate scholarships to all those who will be selected.

He said the academy will focus on all the sports events which local athletes have the potential to excel and bring home the medals like in athletics, swimming, cycling , chess and some ball games.

He said the coaches in different sports disciplines are now being assembled preparatory to the launching of the sports academy.

The athletes and coaches to be chosenwill be given quarters at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center which was renovated and expanded by the past provincial administration of his father and namesake former Governor and now fifth district Congressman Amado Espno Jr.

It was the former governor who dreamt of putting up a Pangasinan Sports Academy which he started by renovating the NRSCC, which was put up by the government in 1995, as venue of the Palarong Pambansa and in 2012, when the national games was brought back to the province.

Selected athletes will be given stipends while undergoing training under different topnotch coaches.

"We will continue to search for talents among the young who can be developed and be considered in the athletes' pool," Espino told newsmen.

At present, the provincial government is holding a provincial basketball tournament which has already entered its quarterfinals with the finals slated in late April in time for the celebration of the Pista'y Dayat" (Sea Festival).

He said after the finals, a provincial team will be formed from among the outstanding cagers who will be sent to Manila to compete with other top cage teams in the country.

Aside from basketball, the province is also promoting chess through its holding of the regular chess clinics and provincial chess tournaments.