National Academy of Sports
| National Academy of Sports | |
|---|---|
NAS campus in 2022 | |
| Location | |
Philippines | |
| Coordinates | 15°20′33″N 120°32′17″E / 15.34238°N 120.53804°E |
| Information | |
| Established | June 9, 2020 |
| Authority | Department of Education |
| Board chair (concurrent Education Secretary) | Sonny Angara |
| Executive Director | Josephine Joy Reyes |
| Enrollment | 52 (September 2021) |
| Area | 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft)[1] |
| Nickname | NAS Excel Lions |
The National Academy of Sports (NAS) is a government-run sports academy managed by the Philippine government which has its main campus at the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac.
History
The National Academy of Sports system was established with the signing of Republic Act No. 11470 on June 9, 2020, by President Rodrigo Duterte. The NAS is a body attached to the Department of Education.[2]
The main campus was set up at the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac.[2]
Josephine Joy Reyes was appointed as the NAS system's first executive director in October 2020.[3] The first set of officials for the NAS system had their oath-taking in May 2021.[4]
In July 2021, the NAS launched its first NAS Annual Search for Competent, Exceptional, Notable and Talented Student-Athlete Scholars (NASCENT SAS), an annual scholarship program which would scout Filipino student-athletes from across the Philippines.[5]
The NAS' first academic year officially started on September 13, 2021.[6] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes will be initially and primarily done virtually.[7][8] The construction for the Phase I of the dedicated campus for the NAS in New Clark City began in early October 2021.[6] It was scheduled to be completed by February 2022,[9] then extended to August 2023.[1]
The first batch of students graduated in April 2025.[10]
Campus
The dedicated campus for the NAS has an academic and administration building as well as a multipurpose gymnasium.[11][12]
Academic program
The NAS intends to provide secondary education program with a curriculum intended to improve its students performance in sports.[13] Natural-born qualified athletes will be granted full scholarship.[2] The NAS has plans to cooperate with the Philippine Sports Commission and would be allowed to hire foreign coaches as part of its staff.[14] Para-athletes will also be accommodated by the school system.[15]
The NAS sources its students through its NAS Annual Search for Competent, Exceptional, Notable and Talented Student-Athlete Scholars (NASCENT SAS) scholarship program which scouts Filipino student-athletes from across the Philippines.[5]
The initial program will cover eight sports:[7]
- Aquatics
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Gymnastics
- Judo
- Table tennis
- Taekwondo
- Weightlifting
Administration
The members of the Board of Trustees are:
| Role | Name | Concurrent position / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chairperson | Sonny Angara | Secretary of Education |
| Vice Chairperson | Dickie Bachmann | Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission |
| Member | Josephine Joy Reyes | Executive Director of the NAS System |
| Member | Abraham Tolentino | President of the Philippine Olympic Committee |
| Member | Prospero de Vera III | Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education |
| Member | Arrey A. Perez | Representative from the private sector |
| Member | Cynthia Ann Tiu | Representative from the private sector |
Competitive sports
The NAS has been sending athletes at the Palarong Pambansa, the national games for student-athletes in the Philippines albeit they are limited to competing in individual sports. They debuted at the 2024 Palarong Pambansa.[16] In the 2025 edition, they adopted the moniker, NAS Excel Lions.[17]
References
- ^ a b Philippine Bidding Documents: Design and Build of The National Academy of Sports (NAS) - Phase 2 at New Clark City (PDF) (Sixth ed.). Bases Conversion and Development Authority. p. 86-87. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ a b c Parrocha, Azer (June 11, 2020). "PH sports academy to help develop world-class athletes: Andanar". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Reyes named National Academy of Sports executive director". BusinessMirror. October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
- ^ Hernando-Malipot, Merlina (May 26, 2021). "DepEd Chief excited over the inauguration of National Academy of Sports by August". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "National Academy of Sports begins search for student-athletes". ABS-CBN News. July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ a b "Construction of National Academy of Sports in Tarlac has begun". BusinessWorld. October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "National Academy of Sports aims to produce next generation of student-athletes". CNN Philippines. July 13, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "National Academy of Sports officially opens classes". ABS-CBN News. September 22, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ Bernardo, Jaehwa (November 11, 2021). "National Academy of Sports starts constructing facilities". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "NAS graduates pioneer batch, eyes strong Palaro 2025 run". Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 22, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ Dela Paz, CV (November 2, 2021). "BCDA, NAS Joint Photo Release: Closer Look: National Academy of Sports Campus". Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "President Duterte leads inspection of National Academy of Sports". Department of Education. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ "Cayetano lauds creation of National Academy of Sports". Manila Bulletin. June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Salaverria, Leila (June 11, 2020). "Duterte signs National Sports Academy into law". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Argarin, Carl Danielle (November 1, 2020). "NAS will also have para-athletes". Manila Times. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ "Historic debut: Budding national athletes, overseas Filipino students join Palaro". Rappler. July 13, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAS". Palarong Pambansa. Department of Education. May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2025.