Duterte sure to grace Philippine National Games in Cebu

CEBU CITY — President Duterte will officially usher in the ninth edition of the Philippine National Games Saturday at the Cebu City Sports Center here where about 5,000 athletes, coaches, and officials are parading.

“No changes, the President will attend,” said Ramon Fernandez, the Philippine Sports commissioner in charge of the organization of the weeklong event, on Friday.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, who turned 68 Friday, and commissioners Celia Kiram, Charles Raymond Maxey and Arnold Agustin will join Fernandez in welcoming the chief executive, who has been attending national sports events lately, including the last two editions of the Palarong Pambansa — the last in Vigan, Ilocos Sur a month back.

Also invited were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Cabinet Sec. Leoncio Evasco Jr., Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano as well as Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas and POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio.

Fernandez said Cebu will host 31 of the 32 events in the PNG calendar, including centerpiece athletics and medal-rich swimming at the main hub, basketball at the Minglanilla Spots Complex, football at the Don Bosco Technology Center grounds and volleyball at the USC and USPF Gyms among others.

Other sports lined up here are archery, arnis, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volley, billiards, bowling, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, fencing, futsal, judo, karate, lawn tennis, pencak silat, rugby sevens, speak takraw, shooting, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu. Gymnastics is scheduled in Manila.

In karate, Fernandez said four referees sent by the World Karate Federation will officiate and hold free seminars in the PNG, which will feature 20,000 athletes, coaches, and officials.

The PSC will also hand out incentives in the form of sports program and equipment to the top five best performing local government units, with the champion getting P5 million and the second to fifth finishers receiving P4 million, P3 million, P2 million and P1 million, respectively.