Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla is pushing for the establishment of sports academies in all provinces in Eastern Visayas to raise the region’s chances in national and international sports competitions.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday night, Petilla said it will be his thrust this year to convince governors in five other provinces to set up a facility like the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA).

“We can share our technical know-how with other provinces. We can win more medals in the Palarong Pambansa if we have more sports academies in the region,” Petilla said during the opening of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet.

Petilla said he already talked to Samar 2nd district Rep. Reynolds Michael Tan about putting up sports academies in the province.

LSA graduates, he said, have been garnering gold medals in competitions abroad. Some of them have been absorbed as sports scholars of tertiary schools in Metro Manila.

“Sports is not the end, but it’s the future of our kids. We want all EVRAA athletes to qualify and win in Palarong Pambansa, but we cannot get gold if we don’t have a sports academy outside Leyte,” Petilla said.

In recent years, EVRAA players land in the bottom five ranking in the Palarong Pambansa.

The LSA, housed at the Leyte Sports Development Complex in Tacloban City, employs a mix of sports and academic learning.

Classroom education starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. Before and after that are sports training from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The local government built a dormitory within the complex where over 100 athlete-scholars are billeted under the supervision of competent personnel. The sports academy provides all the needs of athletes. (PNA)