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LSA Athletes Assured
College Support
TACLOBAN CITY - The provincial
government of Leyte assured support to young athletes in the
province not only in terms of sports training but further
education in the future particularly for scholarship grants for
college degrees.
Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla revealed during the recent
2011 Provincial Athletics Meet for Leyte province, that
athlete-scholars of the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) are now being
assured of a college education once they graduate from high
school.
"These are big universities in Manila who already have expressed
their interest to take in our LSA athletes as scholars once they
get to college," Gov. Petilla announced to the crowds during the
provincial meet held in Alangalang, Leyte which hosted this
year's provincial sports fest.
The Leyte Sports Academy is a free sports training and education
program initiated by the provincial government of Leyte through
Gov. Petilla for qualified athletes coming from various public
and elementary schools in the province.
From more than 37 athlete-scholars when it opened in 2009, the
academy now trains 70 young athletes who are provided free
training, accommodation and education at the Leyte Sports
Development Center where the academy is also located.
Sports training are in the field of boxing, badminton, swimming
and track and field.
Gov. Petilla said that the province is designing the Leyte
Sports academy to be a long-term and sustainable program that
would continue whoever sits as the provincial governor.
Earlier, communications giant SMART has assured support to the
Leyte Sports Academy through their SMART Sports program which
provides assistance to grassroots sports in the country.
"Thus, we are trying to tie up with the private sector, the
private companies in particular, to support this program so that
it can stand on its own and continue to train deserving athletes
in the province," Gov. Petilla declared.
He added that this likewise include tie-ups with universities
which can accommodate these athletes for college education.
The governor enthused that the athletes' performance and the
program itself have both caught attention that the present
scholars of the academy would have college scholarships once
they finish secondary school.
LSA athletes competed in the 2011 Leyte
Provincial Meet over the weekend representing their respective
schools.
PMRC
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