NEW year, new leaders for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Newly-appointed PSC chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann formally took his oath as the 12th chairman of the government sports agency during simple ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Malacañang.

Bachmann, who replaced former Chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala, took his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevarra.

The 54-year-old Bachmann earlier resigned as operations manager of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup scheduled Aug. 25-Sept.10 in the country.

“I just couldn’t decline President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s offer to serve Philippine sports. I was in the United States in California with my family when I was informed about it,” Bachmann told mediamen.

‘I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to serve our Philippine athletes in this capacity. I look forward to working with the NSAs, together with our PSC team members and Commissioners, in order to help our athletes prepare for this year’s sporting events,” added Bachmann in a statement.

“I am also grateful for the continued support of the PBA community, SBP organization, and my mentor, Wilfred Steven Uytengsu. I bring with me nearly three decades of experience in organized sports, as well as the Alaska Aces philosophy I have learned and valued over the years, which is to win with integrity while helping our athletes to become better individuals off the court ” added Bachmann, who also resigned as head of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) 3×3 program and as commissioner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

A former Alaska Milk team governor in the PBA, Bachmann will join Commissioners Bong Coo, Edward Hayco and Walter Torres in mapping out plans for national athletes and coaches under the Marcos administration.

Hayco and Torres had already taken their oaths last Dec. 28.

Before taking his oath, Bachmann reported for work at the PSC office at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila early Wednesday morning where he visited some facilities including the coliseum, tennis courts, baseball stadium, swimming pool, multi-purpose gym and squash center.

Bachmann and the newly-appointed PSC board are expected to have their hands full with tge busy calendar for national athletes this year.

Among these major international tournaments are 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May, the 19th Asian Games in China in September, the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Bangkok in November and several qualifying tournaments leading to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The agency is also actively involved in various grassroots sports programs.

Earlier, Coo welcomed Torres and Hayco to the PSC family and gave them a tour of the PSC administrative building.

“My heart is really into grassroots sports,” said Hayco, 64, a long-time chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission before being appointed to his new job.

He is also considered as Cebu’s “father of dancesport.”