CPU Sports on a mission to uplift athlete’s morale amid COVID-19 pandemic

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

The sports world has been one of the most affected sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a hard time for athletes, coaches, and referees including amateur and professional organizers and leagues with most sports still being prohibited.

Realizing this problem, Central Philippine University’s (CPU) Director of the Office of Sports and Athletics, Edwin Caro Laruan has decided to turn to social media, launching their “Daily and Weekly Player Feature.”

“This will inspire other athletes since we are still facing the pandemic. We need to uplift the morale and mental condition of our athletes,” said Laruan in an exclusive interview with the Daily Guardian.

Posted on CPU’s website and Facebook page, Laruan and his team feature outstanding and hard-working athletes every day.

Aside from featuring their Golden Lions athletes on Facebook, Laruan also said that they are currently having online training with their varsity teams.

Since the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases still did not allow collegiate sports’ face-to-face training, online practice was CPU’s best option.

“We have a very good sports program. This is because we have dedicated and very good coaches, and also we have the full support of our administration,” Laruan said while also emphasizing that academics will always come first once you enter the Golden Lions’ den.

“One thing also why they choose CPU because we value education. Academics must come first, so ang amon nga mga athletes are not only trained on the court but also in the four corners of our classrooms,” Laruan ended.