“Great civilizations have always been associated with sports. Think of Rome and the gladiators and their famous Colosseum. Think of Greece with the Olympics and all the races and traditions carried on until today. Think of the many great and big countries leading in sports competition at present,” Briones said.

“These countries have always been marked by massive investment in sports. Realization and recognition that in learning and studying, one does not separate the physical from the intellectual activities of our learners,” she added.

The DepEd chief also noted how important sports are in the Philippine tradition and how the said institution would be an avenue for the learners to hone their physical skills to be globally competitive.

“We admire the intellectuals, but we adore the athletes, all of us and all Filipinos. It is part of our tradition and therefore important to integrate sports development into our curriculum. Sports is a tradition for Filipinos, and it is time that must be organized. It is time that it would be integrated with our educational system,” Briones noted.

Along with Briones, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the Final Inspection of the Academic and Administration Building and the Multi-Purpose Gymnasium at the Main Campus worth P557.8-million under Phase 1 of the NAS Project.

“It is, therefore, my hope and maybe my prayer that the pioneer batch of student-athletes become well-rounded Olympians and Champions who will carry our flag in the international sports arena and inspire a deep sense of patriotism among Filipinos,” President Duterte said.

“This National Academy of Sports is envisioned to be a world-class facility that will serve as a forefront in our efforts to provide a conducive environment for the academic, sports training, and character development of our young athletes,” he added.

NAS Main Campus is also a few kilometers away from the Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Center, and other facilities used during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and is certified world-class by the international standards, which would be helpful in the development of the student-athletes.

For the next school year, NAS will offer programs in eight focus sports, including the Athletics, Aquatics (Swimming), Gymnastics, Badminton, Judo, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, and, Weightlifting — all of which are Olympic sports.