COTABATO CITY -- Bangsamoro Sports Commission (BSC) chairman Norhan Uka underscored that sports is vital to lasting peace as he spoke before 50 fourth year MAPEH student volunteers during the inaugural leg of the first ever Mindanao Sports for Peace Caravan with the conduct of Ate Kuya Leadership Training at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College here Monday, November 18.
Uka, in his message, said, “There is no barrier in sports - no Christian, no Muslim no Lumad. We are all one. Education and sports will give us everlasting peace.”
He, who claimed to be a son of an arm struggler, lauded the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) under Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez for bringing its sports program to Barmm.
The PSC chief, in previous reports, had been reiterating its commitment to President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to bring sports to the periphery, to areas that had never been reached by the national sports agency in the past, even before the long-time Davao City mayor took the highest government position in the country.
Meanwhile, CCSPU president Dammang S. Bantala also thanked the sports for peace caravan, adding, “The language of sports is the language of peace.”
The student volunteers, who underwent a leadership training with PSC Mindanao Cluster head Ed Fernandez and PSC-Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) program coordinator, will assist some 500 16-year-old and below participants in the simultaneous sports clinics set today, November 19. The clinics will be handled by veteran coaches from the PSI and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Featured sports include basketball, volleyball, athletics, sepak takraw, football and chess.
A mini competition will follow after the sports clinics.
The Mindanao Sports for Peace Caravan is joint collaboration program of the PSC, AFP, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of the President and Department of Education (DepEd).
Fernandez, in an interview, said, “Very powerful ang sports for peace program ni Chairman Butch considering that sports is really a great equalizer.”
He said that the PSC Mindanao Office is giving its full support to the program spearheaded by PSC national consultant Prof. Henry Daut. “From Cotabato, the sports caravan will have different stops,” he added.
AFP official Col. Taharudin Ampatuan reportedly initiated to hold the sports for peace caravan as part of the government’s peace-building efforts in Mindanao, which had been beset by insurgencies and terrorism.