'Batang Pinoy' draws 5,000 young athletes

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur—The Luzon leg of the Batang PInoy, the government’s annual multi-sports meet for in and out-of-school school, 15-year-old and below athletes, will be ushered in Saturday with an expected turnout of at least 5,000 athletes at the President Quirino Stadium.

At press time, a total of 122 of the 126 participating local government units have already arrived and the organizing Philippine Sports Commission chaired by William “Butch” Ramirez are expecting for the rest to check in.

Centerpiece track and field and medal-rich swimming are the two of the top 18 sports to be played in this weeklong meet.

The other disciplines to be played are archery, arnis, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, karatedo, tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

Apart from Ramirez, host Gov. Ryan Luis Singson along with Vigan City Mayor Juan Carlo Medina, Bantay City Mayor Samuel Parilla II and Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos will officially declare the games open in the opening rites.

Interestingly, Ilocos Sur is using the Batang Pinoy as part of its preparation to host next year’s Palarong Pambansa, the biggest youth-based sports in the country today as it draws elementary and high school athletes from all over the country.

This will be the first of the three-leg event for Batang Pinoy, which resumes with its Visayas phase from November 10-16 in Dumaguete City.

Wency Abad, a former table tennis gold medal winner here, will do the ceremonial talk.