THE Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP) Board of Trustees has designated businessman-sports patron Edwin C. Fabro as the country’s Head of Delegation to the 2022 Summer Universiade (World University Games) to be held in Chengdu, Sichuan province of the People’s Republic of China on June 26-July 7, 2022.

The choice was easy as Fabro is currently FESSAP President.

Earlier, the FESSAP Executive Committee recommended him to the association’s Universiade Preparation and Monitor Committee, chaired by Prof. Robert Milton Calo, who is also the FESSAP Executive Vice President.

Alvin Tai Lian, the FESSAP Chairman of the Board, confirmed Fabro’s designation during a zoom online meeting with the majority member of the Board of Trustees.

A well-known sportsman-philanthropist in the Chinese-Filipino community, Fabro is an executive member of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

The FESSAP has registered with the Chengdu Universiade Delegation Services in its intention to field athletes in archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, lawn tennis, wushu, and gymnastics.

Instead of eight events, the country will now participate in nine events with the addition of gymnastics.

The deadline for submission of events entries was October 26, 2021.

The search continues for the positions of Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation Officials, a Team Leader for each of the nine competition events that the FESSAP is taking part in.

Tai Lian was also confirmed by the Board as the Philippines’ Flag Bearer to the Chengdu Universiade.

This will be the first time for Tai Lian as a flagbearer.

The following are the members of the FESSAP National Secretariat: Cecil Sarmiento, Raquel Lim, Antonio Quiza, Fructuso Raytos, Joseph Sy and Romulo Raytos.

The International University Sports Federation (FISU), the organizer of the Summer Universiade, together with the Executive Committee of the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games, has decided to host the Heads of Delegation Meeting online due to the current global COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restriction.

An invitation will be sent to the FESSAP and the online meet will take place on February 28, 2022.

The FESSAP National Secretariat will assign two representatives to attend the online meeting. Whatever the pertinent discussions and reports from the meet will be forwarded to Fabro and the FESSAP Board of Trustees.

Held biennially, the FISU-sanctioned Universiade is an Olympics-type competition among the best university athletes around the world. A record of 185 countries are affiliated with the FISU.

“It’s a great honor for me to head the Philippine delegation to such a prestigious international sports event, such as the Universiade,” said Fabro.

“Only a few have been given that title and that opportunity. I am deeply honored. Though it will be a big, big challenge, we hope to do well in Chengdu. The dream of every Filipino student-athlete is to excel in an international sports competition. We support them all the little way as the FESSAP envisions the youthful athletes to be our future national leaders as well,” he added.

For Fabro, “There are no shortcuts to success. It’s the same principle I have applied in my business. It is all about hard work and dedication in your craft, and the sporting arena is no different.”

The following members of the FESSAP Executive Committee that nominated Fabro, were Graham C. Lim as Chair, Prof Robert Milton Calo as Co-Chair, Atty. Maria Luz Arzaga-Mendoza, Corporate Secretary Cecil Sarmiento, JC Clarito of Student-Athletes Union (SAU), Red Dumuk of NSA Affairs, and Joseph Sy of the Coaches Committee. By Graham C. Lim