Duterte leads groundbreaking of Philippine Sports Training Center

President Rodrigo Duterte led the groundbreaking of the Philippine Sports Training Center on Friday.

The sports facility, located in a 25-hectare land in Bagac, Bataan, will house 39 sports facilities for aquatics, athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, and taekwondo, among others, according to the Philippine Sports Commission.

Duterte believes that the project, which he described as a facility that "should be the future home and primary venue and development of our national athletes," will have a huge impact on the future of the national athletes and the youth.

"With this facility I am confident, we will raise and develop more world-class athletes who will represent the Philippines in international competitions and usher the Philippine sports industry here in the country," he added.

For his part, PSC chair William "Butch" Ramirez said he is thankful for the project. "Our country has been wanting an advanced national sports training facility for a long time, and the creation of the PSTC could not have come at the most opportune time," he said.

The PSTC is a product of Republic Act 11214, signed in February 2019, which mandated the establishment of a sports complex which will be the primary venue for the development and training of national athletes, and improvement of sports science and research.

An amount of P3.5 billion is appropriated by the law for the construction of the facility.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/MGP, GMA News