The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Philippines will welcome more than 350 foreign delegates when the 10th Senior Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships presented by the Philippine Sports Commission is held Aug. 4 to 7 at the modern and massive Tagaytay City Velodrome.
Organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) and sanctioned by World Gymnastics and the Asian Gymnastics Union (AGU), the event features Asia’s best aerobic gymnastics and aims to boost the country’s sports tourism program.
Twelve Asian countries will field entries across seven categories: individual men and women, mixed pairs, trios, groups, aerobic dance and aerobic step. The age groups are 12 to 14 for Youth, 15 to 17 for Junior and 18 above for Senior.
Participating foreign countries are Cambodia, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam.
It’s the second major international competition which the GAP under Cynthia Carrion and the PSC under chairman Patrick Gregorio is presending in only nine months after the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships last November.
The City of Tagaytay, through Mayor Brent Tolentino and Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, has expressed its readiness to host the event and showcase its beauty before the foreign delegates.
Security measures will be put in place for the event. The city has also prepared cultural showcases and hospitality programs.
“Through this Championship, I believe that the city locals and the whole nation are one in bringing Asian sport to new heights and inspire all Asian athletes to celebrate discipline and push their boundaries of excellence,” Carrion told the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.
Carrion, who was joined by GAP secretary-general Rowena Eusuya, said staging events like this is not only good for sports but the country in general.
“Sports unites people. Sports is like music. Memories come back. This is also in line with PSC chairman Gregorio’s thrust in hosting international sporting events to boost sports tourism,” Carrion said.
“We welcome this hosting as part of our sports tourism program. As I’ve said, sports is good news,” reiterated Gregorio, who is also chairman of the National Sports Tourism-Inter Agency Committee.
“We have wanted to stage this event for some time and we are proud to say that we finally have it,” added Carrion.
The tireless GAP chief said that for some counties such as India, which will field the biggest contingent of 50 athletes in all of the categories, “this will serve as major criteria for them to select their campaigners to 19th Aerobic Gymnastics World Championships in Pamplona, Spain in December.”
She said that in the senior division the mixed pair of Arcenio Cadlos and Charmaine Dolar, who won a silver medal in the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games last December, would be strong medal contenders for the host country in the four-day meet.
“In Dolar, we also expect to do well in the women’s individual event and in the women’s trios in siblings Dorothy Grace and Danielle Grade and Princess Johana Pama,” Carrion said.