Francis Carlos Diaz talks about his plans as National Academy for Sports executive director during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) at the Philippine Sports Commission media room inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila. He is a former dean at the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics. (PNA photo by Jean Malanum)
The National Academy for Sports (NAS) is aiming to develop world-class Filipino athletes by adopting a global approach to sports training — a vision inspired by the success story of rising tennis star Alex Eala and her formative years at the Rafael Nadal Academy.
Newly appointed NAS Executive Director Francis Carlos Diaz emphasized the importance of internationally competitive training systems as he met with program heads of the government-run academy shortly after assuming office last week.
Speaking at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the Philippine Sports Commission media room inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila, Diaz pointed to Eala as a powerful example of how elite sports academies can shape world-class athletes.
“Alex Eala was an example of an athlete who was groomed and taught by a sports academy — the Rafael Nadal Academy with an academic program embedded in his program. And we can see how much success Alex is enjoying right now,” Diaz said.
Diaz, a former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics, explained that NAS is working toward a similar model — one that blends high-level athletic training with quality academic education to nurture the country’s future sporting champions.
“That’s what we do at NAS, actually. So it can be likened to that. We’re looking at it as if there are challenges and we are facing them. And we’re transforming all of these into opportunities, and we’re not lacking in seeking out partners to be able to deliver all of this funding to our student-athletes,” he added.
Established in 2020 through Republic Act 11470, the NAS operates from its main campus at the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac. The academy currently houses 237 student-athletes undergoing intensive training while pursuing their secondary education.
Modeled after prestigious specialized schools such as the Philippine Science High School and the Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling, Laguna, NAS carries a dual mandate, Diaz explained.
“To provide quality and holistic secondary education to all student-athletes enrolled, and secondly, this is the special niche of those enrolled there. They are being developed by the academy to become future national athletes of our country, hopefully, to compete in sub-regional meets like the Southeast Asian Games, the regional like the Asian Games, all the way to the Olympics,” Diaz said.
Diaz recently took over the leadership of NAS from professor Josephine Joy Reyes as the academy continues to strengthen its programs and expand its partnerships to support elite athlete development.
At present, the academy focuses on seven priority sports: athletics, aquatics, taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, judo, and gymnastics — disciplines where young Filipino athletes are being prepared to carry the country’s hopes on the international stage.
With a growing pool of promising student-athletes and a renewed push toward global-standard training, NAS hopes to build its own pipeline of champions — following a path similar to the one that helped launch Alex Eala onto the world tennis stage.
