MANILA, Aug. 30 -- The Philippine Sports Commission, in partnership with the Department of Education and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, will launch the country's biggest weightlifting academy.

The project aims to strengthen school-based sports, one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In a recent meeting with PSC Chairperson Patrick Gregorio, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said at least 300 schools nationwide offer a specialized sports curriculum, giving student-athletes more time for training and physical development.

Both Angara and Gregorio emphasized that weight training and weightlifting should serve as the backbone of the program, powering the engine of s...