MANILA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Filipino tycoon announced on Saturday to donate 10 million pesos(200,000 U.S. dollars) to build the first ever table tennis training center in the Philippines.
Stephen Techico, chairman of the Uni-Orient Travel Inc. and honorary president of Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, gave a 10 million pesos check to the Philippine Sports Commission to support the construction of a new table tennis training center in Manila.
Techico made the announcement at the opening ceremony of the largest annual interscholastic table tennis league featuring over 1,200 players from 308 teams across the country.
Techico said he will cooperate with the Philippine Sports Commission to find a place in Manila and hopes the construction can be started this year.
The new facility, Philippines-China Table Tennis Training Center, will have a floor area of around 1,000 sq-meter.
Ramon Fernandez, commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, received the donation. He expressed thanks to Techico and the Philippine Chinese community.
Fernandez said the new table tennis training center will provide a better place to the Philippine teenage players and help their talents and skills grow rapidly, adding that the sport can help foster a better relationship.
"This is one way where the private sector can be an active and effective partner in promoting grassroots sports development," Fernandez added.