Paris bronze medalist Nesthy Petecio has expressed her gratitude to Sen. Bong Go for his support and love to all Filipino athletes, saying he is the modern godfather of Philippine sports.
“Kay Senator Bong Go, maraming salamat po sa inyong suporta sa mga atleta. Maraming salamat po, lalo na sa grassroots. Patuloy niyo lang po kaming sinusuportahan, Sir dahil alam ko napakadami pa pong nasa grassroots na gusto maging tulad naming,” said Petecio during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night on Jan. 27, at the Manila Hotel where she was one of the recipients of the President’s Award.
Go also drew praises from other personalities present for his deep involvement in various sectors – especially in sports and health.
Apart from Petecio, Go also lauded PSA Athlete of the Year Carlo Yulo for winning a record two golds in the Paris Games, making the country’s 100th year of participation in the global sporting showcase doubly significant. “Ang tagumpay ng ating mga atleta ay tagumpay ng buong bansa. Kaya naman, hindi natin sila pababayaan. Patuloy tayong magsusulong ng mga programa na magpapalakas ng Philippine sports,” Go said.
As the senate committee chairman on sports, he pushed for the approval of sports and athletes’ higher annual funding budget that helped the country won three Olympic gold medals — one from Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo and two from Yulo in Paris — since 2019.
As a known advocate of grassroots sports development, Go has consistently pushed for increased funding to improve training programs, athlete incentives, and sports facilities across the country.
He authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11470, which established the National Academy of Sports (NAS) in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac. The NAS serves as a premier institution to develop young athletes while ensuring they receive quality education alongside their sports training.
Go also played a key role in securing the country’s successful hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where Filipino athletes delivered historic performances.
“Ang ating mga kabataan ay may potensyal na maging world-class athlete’s kung mabibigyan sila ng tamang suporta. Kaya dapat nating siguruhing may sapat na pondo, tamang training facilities, at mga programang magpapalakas sa kanila,” added Go.
