World champion Carlos Yulo spearheaded the grand opening of the MVP Sports Foundation Gymnastics Center in Intramuros, Manila on Saturday.
Yulo, who is back in town from Japan, joined her Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) President Cynthia Carrion at the handover ceremony which was also attended by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the representative of the Philippines to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.
Also in attendance were Philippine Sports Commissioner Celia Kiram and MVP Sports Foundation Executive Director Jude Turcuato.
The gymnastics center, which has improved facilities, hopes to inspire national team members and aspirants to train and become world-class gymnasts like Yulo.
The PH team was training at a facility inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Yulo has been based in Japan for a few years and trains with Kugimiya where he eventually honed his skills and became a two-time world champion.
Her recent feat at the world championships came last year on vault held in Kitakyushu, Japan.
With the unveiling of the new facility, PSC hopes to discover more world-class gymnasts like Yulo.
PSC President Butch Ramirez said the board is confident that local gymnasts can achieve more in the years to come and follow in the footsteps of world champion and Tokyo Olympian Yulo.
“That’s why we support them in a way that our limited resources could. Our collective efforts to grow the sport can produce more Caloys in the future,” Ramirez said.
Yulo, a product of PSC’s Batang Pinoy and Philippine National Games programs, honed her talent and skills at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Gymnastics Center.
Ramirez thanked Yulo for setting the bar high for Filipino gymnastics and putting the country on the international sports map.
“It just proves that hard work is the key to achieving a dream. I hope it inspires more young people to pursue their dreams and motivates us to further expand our grassroots program,” Ramirez said.
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