THE Embassy of Japan recently held a handover ceremony with the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) for the improvement of the training environment project of the Philippine Gymnastics Association at the gymnastics area of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Japan donated gymnastics equipment through the Grassroots Cultural Grant Assistance Scheme to support the GAP’s plan to open a training facility for future gymnasts with its aim to produce better-trained gymnasts to represent the Philippines in the future.

At the same time, the facility is not just for top athletes but also to give an opportunity for many children to experience the joy of sports through gymnastics.

Present at the ceremony were Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, GAP

President Cynthia Carrion, former president and Senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Congressman and Youth and Sports Development Committee Chairman Faustino Michael Carlos Dy 3rd, world-class gymnast Carlos Yulo, coach Kugimiya Munehiro, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Walter Torres, Japan Gymnastics Association Acting Secretary General Nishimura Kenji, and Philippine Olympics Commission (POC) Deputy Secretary-General Carl Sambrano.

Ambassador Koshikawa expressed his sincere respect for the leadership and passion of Carrion and Kugimiya in making the training facility a reality.

The Ambassador also expressed his gratitude to the PSC for providing a portion of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex for the grassroots gymnastics facility.

He shared Japan’s hopes for the training facility to contribute to the development of sports in the Philippines, especially in enabling the discovery and nurturing of the next generation of Filipino gymnasts.

World-class gymnast Yulo, presently the most recognizable figure in Philippine gymnastics, spearheaded his career through the mentorship of Kugimiya. Both Yulo and Kugimiya aim to represent the Philippines at the 2024 Paris Olympics.