Sarangani to Develop P300-M Modern Regional Sports Complex

The provincial government of Sarangani has allotted around P300 million for the development of a modern sports complex in Alabel starting next year.

Sarangani Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said Thursday the preparatory works are underway for the project, which will commence with the renovation of the existing sports complex at the provincial capitol compound.

He said the projected will be implemented in phases, with the P100 million component targeted to start within the first quarter of 2017.

“By January or February, we will start the P100-million regional sports complex at the capitol,” he announced at the opening of the Sarangani Provincial Athletic Association meet in Malapatan town.

The governor said the new sports complex will feature state-of-the-art amenities for a range of sporting events.

He said they will build a dormitory at the facility that will have an initial capacity for 400 athletes.

When completed, the “full amount” for the development of the sports complex will reach P300 million, he said.

Some of the facilities at the present provincial sports complex, which was built more than two decades ago, are already ageing and needs immediate renovation.

It lacks several necessary amenities, among them an Olympic-size swimming pool.

When it hosted the Region 12 or Soccsksargen Regional Athletic Association (SRAA) meet last February, the province moved the swimming events to the South Cotabato Sports Complex in Koronadal City.

Aside from hosting major sports competitions in the future, Solon said they will develop the new sports complex as a training facility for the province’s student-athletes.

He said top athletes who would qualify in the municipal games would be housed at the planned dormitory for further trainings.

“We can already accommodate athletes who are strong in boxing, badminton, football, athletics and other events as the dormitory will be built for 400 students,” he said.

The provincial government has strengthened its sports development programs these past years as part of its efforts to develop more quality athletes at the grassroots level.

The province’s little league baseball team represented the country at the Asia-Pacific Intermediate League Baseball tournament held in Clark, Pampanga in July after earning a championship for SRAA in the Palarong Pambansa.(PNA)LAP/AVE