MANILA – Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Tuesday committed to support the country’s sports programs to help prevent crime and drug use, as he graced the 18th season of the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAASCU) at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
"Sabi ko nga ano pa maitulong ng gobyerno sa mga equipment sa mga paliga para palakasin pa ‘yung liga nila, I am more than willing to help (As I said, whatever help the government can provide to strengthen our sports leagues, I am more than willing to help),” he said in a media interview.
Go, who was one of the keynote speakers during the opening rites of the collegiate league pitting 16 schools from Metro Manila, praised how the league has become "stronger," and urged athletes to remain committed to their endeavors and stay away from drug use.
"Nakikita ko kasi puro makamasa ‘yung mga participating teams. Sabi nila, they were not included sa NCAA at sa UAAP so ito na po ‘yung liga ng masa na, they were put together para magkaroon rin sila ng sariling liga. Nakakatuwa naman. Alam ko equally competitive rin ang mga teams and players (I see that the participating teams are for the masses. They said they were not in the NCAA and the UAAP, so this is indeed the 'league of the masses' in which they were put together to form their own league. It's joyful to see. I know the teams and the players are equally competitive)," Go said.
Go said he intends to coin NAASCU as the "league of the masses," as it is arguably the top Metro Manila-based collegiate league outside of the more popular National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
Earlier this year, the presidential aide launched a nationwide search for the best three-point shooter, in a bid to promote sports activities as a campaign against the three problems of corruption, criminality and illegal drugs. (PNA)
