MANILA – The recently-launched Ayala Center for Excellence in Sports (ACES) announced today the creation of the Atletang Ayala program which has been designed to provide holistic support to the country’s Olympic hopefuls.
Under the Atletang Ayala program, participating Ayala Group companies will provide full-salaried employment opportunities at part-time hours to Filipino national athletes training for the 2022 Asian Games and the 2024 Olympics. This arrangement will allow the athletes the flexibility they need to fulfill their grueling training and competition requirements while receiving a steady income. Athletes selected for the program will also be given free access to the world-class training facilities of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub. Finally, ACES has partnered with De La Salle University to offer free enrollment in a selection of courses for Atletang Ayala athletes who wish to continue their education.
“The Ayala Group of Companies has long recognized the special qualities athletes bring to the workplace. A number of our executives in fact competed as national athletes, and they have been noteworthy for their commitment, resilience and ability to work in teams. At the Ayala Group we will continue to look for ways to support our national athletes so that hopefully we can encourage more Filipinos to pursue their sports dreams,” said Jan Bengzon, ACES Program Director.
“We are excited to open the program application process to all qualified national athletes and look forward to working with them to advance their athletic careers towards qualifying for the upcoming 2022 Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games, and hopefully the 2024 Olympics as well. At the same time, we would also like to work with them to advance their careers beyond sports,” he added.
The Atletang Ayala program will be launched after it has identified eight athletes for its inaugural class. All applicants are required to be members of the pool of national athletes in their national sports associations that are competing in medal sports at the 2024 Olympics. Atletang Ayala athletes will be offered a yearly contract that provides for the above benefits and can be renewed annually until the 2024 Olympics, contingent on the attainment of clear performance measures.
“The success of this program will not be determined by the number of athletes who bring back medals, but by the impact these young men and women will have in their communities as they aspire to reach the pinnacle of their respective sports on the global stage,” Bengzon added.
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by filling in the form at the following link: https://bit.ly/AtletangAyala. Deadline for application is on March 18, 2022.
