LINGAYEN - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday asked collegiate athletes to set their sights on winning the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines in 2008 in Beijing.

Arroyo issued the call at the opening of the National Private Schools and Athletics Association Games at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here.

"I am encouraging all of you (National PRISAA athletes) to do your best so that you will have chances to represent the country and emerge as gold medal winners in the Olympics in Beijing, China," Arroyo said in her three-minute keynote speech.

The National PRISAA Games has produced SEA Games gold medalists, including Olympian Donald Geisler in taekwondo (National Capital Region) and Annie Albania in boxing (NCR).

About 10,000 athletes, coaches, officials attended the opening rites that was highlighted by performances from the University of Luzon Drum and Bugle Corps, Lyceum-Northwestern University Symphonic Choir, and the Physical Education classes of UL, University of Pangasinan and LNU.

Pangasinan Gov. Victor Agbayani said "there is no greater feeling than hosting the National PRISAA Games because you know that most of the great athletes come from the grassroots program."

National PRISAA president Gonzalo Duque said the association will continue to hone athletes through its annual meet so that sports in the country will not deteriorate.

Arroyo also lauded the officials, coaches and athletes of the national meet. "I would like to congratulate the PRISAA for continuing to foster the sports programs of the Philippines," she said.

"We celebrated the victory of Manny Pacquiao. We celebrated when we won our first Southeast Asian Games title. Now, we need to celebrate the success of the National PRISAA Games," the President also said.

There are more public schools in the country, but I am glad that the private schools associations like the PRISAA still hold competitions to strengthen the Philippine sports program, she added.

The Region I or Ilocos contingent made the lighting of the urn of the National PRISAA Games dubbed "Friendship and Solidarity Towards National Transformation." *CIT

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