THE youth is the hope of our future.
The famous line of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal serving as inspiration, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) secretary-general Patrick Gregorio urged newly graduates from the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics to help improve and further uplift the state of Philippine sports.
Gregorio, an outstanding alumnus of the State University who was the guest of honor and speaker during the recognition rites held at the GT Toyota Asian Center Auditorium in UP Diliman, said in his speech that young graduates should have a ‘goal, a desire’ early on in this so-called ‘Game of Life,’ which is to help Philippine sports.
In particular, he cited the College of Human Kinetics as home to some of the brightest youths of today after producing for the second straight year another Summa Cum Laude and class valedictorian in Sean Patrick B. Grageda, who graduated with a grade weighted average of 1.180.
Last year, volleyball player Kathy Bersola also graduated Summa Cum Laude from the college the offers degree in athletic therapy, kinesiology, physical education, recreation, and sport management.
Also part of this year’s batch is Pearl Managuelod, secretary general of the Muay Thai Association of the Philippines (MAP) and a member of the POC membership committee. She was awarded Outstanding Student with an Academic Excellence for Master of Science in Human Movement Science with a 1.295 grade weighted average.
“Sayang if we won’t be able to tap them and help Philippine sports,” said Gregorio, a cum laude graduate at the UP Asian Institute of Tourism.
As someone who loves basketball, the POC secretary-general made an analogy between life and the sport.
“I told them look at this way. There are usually four quarters in the game called life. You are graduating today, you are in your early 20s and you have played the first quarter. And there are three quarters to go: Age 21-40; 41-60; 61-80,” said the eldest of the celebrated Gregorio brothers who are in sports.
“More exciting plays will happen. There will be times you will get tired, injured. You will request for a sub (go on leave). Maybe there will even be an overtime play,” he added. “But realize early on in the ‘Game of Life’ that you have a goal, a desire – Help Philippine Sports…thru the POC.”
During the event which has the theme ‘Paglayang Minamahal,’ and attended by Dean Ronualdo ‘Ronnie’ Dizer, Gregorio, who once served as PBA chairman, also urged the graduates to help the POC and work as volunteers when the country hosts the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
At the same time, he bared his main aspirations as one of the country’s top sports leaders today.
First, Gregorio hopes the country finally bag a first ever Olympic gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games, and second, for his alma mater to win the UAAP men’s basketball championship.
“I was still in my teens when the Maroons won the school’s first and only UAAP men’s basketball title, but now I’m 50 years old. So it’s about time to bring the championship back in Diliman,” added Gregorio, a former Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee for Tourism in 2003.
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