BUSINESS and industry leaders opined on the country’s sports program to be focused on individual sports as the major sector of society met its counterpart in the sports community in a rare occasion on Friday in Quezon City.

“Let’s focus on investing in individual sports because that’s our strength. Imagine EJ Obiena, he’s been winning a lot of medals for the Philippines,” George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the Pandesal Forum on Friday at the Kamuning Bakery where Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino was also one of the forum’s special guests.

“Not to forget our very own first Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, she made everybody proud, and hoping we can produce a lot of them in the future,” Barcelon added.

Tolentino thanked Barcelon and his fellow business and industry leaders—Dr. Cecilio Pedro, president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., and Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr., head of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines—who graced the forum moderated by Wilson Lee Flores.

“It’s an honor and privilege that our leaders in business and industry are supporting our athletes and our sports program in general and that their concern inspires young athletes to set higher goals,” Tolentino said.

Pedro, a staunch supporter of sports who once maintained a competitive commercial basketball, gave Tolentino a high mark for his leadership in sports.

“Sports is very important for us because it gauges the country if it’s moving forward, and I am very happy to see that somebody like EJ Obiena is in the forefront or being No. 2 in the world,” Pedro said.

“It’s because of the all-out support and leadership of our POC president, Abraham Tolentino,” Pedro said. “We are always behind him and the endeavor of our Filipino athletes.”

With the issue on the West Philippine Sea lingering in the sidelines of the 19th Asian Games that start Friday in Hangzhou, Tolentino assured the business and industry leaders that sports would be insulated in the games.

“Hopefully, the treatment of the host country [China] is good even though there’s a geopolitical issue,” Tolentino said. “I hope it won’t affect our relationship with the host country. Sports unifies all.”

Tolentino told the forum that 396 Filipino athletes are competing in Hangzhou and are inspired to surpass the four gold medals won in the 2018 edition in Indonesia.

“We are hoping we do more and surpass our finish in Indonesia,” he said.