Youth football backer Atayde to receive citation in Siklab Awards

MANILA, Philippines – For being one of the chief supporters of youth sports in the country, a lawmaker is set to be feted along with other young athletes in the 3rd Siklab Youth Sports Awards at the Market! Market! Activity Center in Taguig City on December 4.

Quezon City 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde, a member of the Youth and Sports Development Committee of the House of Representatives, and his uncle Mike Atayde are known for their passion in helping the youth achieve their dreams through sports.

For their efforts in supporting sports-oriented underprivileged kids, the Ataydes will thus receive a special citation during the awards night organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission (POC-PSC) Media Group. 

The younger Atayde has backed his uncle, who is one of the founders of the Youth Football League (YFL), where aspiring football stars get to develop their skills. The Ataydes also support the Davao Aguilas football club.

The YFL has discovered a lot of under-18 talents like Lien Dale Manuel from Tondo — a scholar of Treston International College in Bonifacio Global City in Taguih — and Lhei Ycong, another Tondo-born footballer who joined the all-girls team with Forza FC is and now a scholar of Woodrose School in Ayala Alabang. 

The league has also helped hundreds of kids obtain football scholarships since 2017. 

Additionally, the actor-lawmaker is supportive of other sports, especially in his district in Quezon City, recently organizing the competitive D1 Basketball League, as well as other youth-oriented projects. 

Meanwhile, sharing the limelight during the awards night backed by MVP Sports Foundation, Smart/PLDT, CEL Logistics, NLEX, Pacquiao 3-in-1 Coffee and JC are Blue Hydra Rising Stars awardees Zhaoyu Capilitan of chess, rowing's Ayona Huerto, skateboarding's Mazel Alegado, fencer Jodie Danielle Tan, and jiu-jitsu's Aielle Aguilar and Yanna Marte.

Leading the awardees in the gala are Alex Eala of tennis, World Combat Games gold medalist Alyssa Kylie Mallari of muay thai, weightlifting world youth champion Prince Keil Delos Santos and 20 other athletes from different sports. They are set to be named Go For Gold Siklab Young