Decathlon PH Holds “Free to Play” Event to Promote Sports Inclusivity
In a significant move to promote sports among Filipinos, Decathlon Philippines organized a region-wide event, “Free To Play: A Sports Festival For All,” in Manila on 25 November 2023. The one-day event, featuring various sports disciplines, was aimed at encouraging people to start their sporting journeys. The festival saw the participation of hundreds, with activities across four Decathlon stores.
Free to Play for All
The festivities started with an opening ceremony at the Decathlon store in Tiendesitas, Pasig. Decathlon Philippines executives and James Younghusband, a legendary Azkals midfielder, headlined the event.
Younghusband praised Decathlon’s initiative, saying, “By making sports accessible, it can truly empower communities and inspire a passion for a healthy, active lifestyle.”
Hans Iff, President of Decathlon Philippines, emphasized the company’s mission during his speech, stating, “Free To Play is our way of reaching out and bringing everyone together through sport.”
Building on the success of the previous year’s event in Masinag, Antipolo, this year’s festival expanded to include additional locations. The Free To Play program was supported by local government units (LGUs) and social impact partners and was conducted across Decathlon Alabang, Pasig, Masinag, and Clark stores.
Sports for Every Juan
The festival offered expert-led classes in various sports disciplines, catering to all age groups and abilities. The activities ranged from climbing and gymnastics in Alabang to Arnis classes in Clark, with special emphasis on inclusivity for people with disabilities.
The event concluded with positive sentiments from Hans Iff, who expressed hope for more Filipinos to engage in sports in the future. He stated, “We are beyond thrilled to be able to serve everyone and be an avenue in showing the wonders of sport.”
Check out the Decathlon website (www.decathlon.ph) and follow their pages on Facebook
(/DecathlonPH), Instagram (@decathlon.ph) and Tiktok (@decathlonph) to get the latest event
information and to sign up for the sports events.
About The Author
Adrian John Ladaga
Adrian started running in 2012 and instantly fell in love with the sport. He now frequents local road and trailrunning events. For him running is simple: "you take one foot in front of another and repeat the process over and over again." You can catch him running in the highlands of Tagaytay city. When not on his running kicks, he steps in the shoes of a content writer and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert.