MisOr's Jalnaiz off to Olympics

ELEVEN young athletes who emerged champions in the 2011 Batang Pinoy (Filipino Kids) national sports meet -- including Misamis Oriental -- groomed boxer Roberto Miguel Jalnaiz -- are primed to enjoy the fruits of their efforts for making it to the top of their respective events.

All of them will get the chance to personally attend the 2012 London Olympics alongside a two-week English and Sports summer program at St. Bede's International School through a scholarship grant provided by British Council Philippines in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the MVP Sports Foundation.

This all-expenses paid program, which was started last year to promote the London Olympics locally, aims to expose the 14 and 15-year-old athletes, some of whom have not gone overseas, to living in a foreign country and interacting with kids from other nationalities.

The PSC hopes this experience will develop their confidence and inspire them in their performance at international competitions.

The PSC provided a list of the gold medal winners where British Council chose 11 scholars coming from all over the country and a variety of disciplines representative of different Olympic sports. An arrangement was made with St. Bede's International School to ensure that the participants are able to attend an Olympic event while in London.

The British Council's program for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games aims to involve people around the world in the cultural and educational aspects of the Games. (With reports from the British Council Philippines)