Baguio athletes eye strong finish in Batang Pinoy, PNG
The 877-strong athletic delegation of the city will aim for strong finishes in the Batang Pinoy and Philippine National Games (PNG) national sporting events slated on Dec. 17-22 in Metro Manila.
A total of 561 athletes are set to defend the city’s title in 22 events in the Batang Pinoy, a national youth sports meet for athletes aged 17 years old and below. Baguio clinched the crown last year in Vigan City.
The 316-strong athletes will also gun for supremacy in 23 events in the PNG, a national multi-sport tournament for athletes 18 years old and above which is conducted to select the national pool of athletes to represent the country to international sports competitions.
The meet was last held before the pandemic in 2018 in Cebu City where Baguio wound up as first runner-up.
City Sports Officer Gaudencio Gonzales gathered the coaches of the various contingents to the events at a pre-departure meeting last Dec. 13, 2023 where he relayed the well wishes of the city government under Mayor Mayor Benjamin Magalong to the athletes.
Magalong and City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña will join the delegation during the opening ceremonies on Dec. 17 to provide moral support to the delegation.
Gonzales said the event is touted to be the biggest national tournament so far with a total of 14,000 competitors expected in the Batang Pinoy and 4,000 more in the PNG.
The city is also a contender in the biggest delegation with the unprecedented number being entered in the two competitions, according to Gonzales.
Batang Pinoy’s events will be archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, futsal, gymnastic, judo, karatedo, kickboxing, lawn tennis, muay thai, pencak silat, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling and wushu while PNG’s events are archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, football, judo, karatedo, kickboxing, lawn tennis, muay thai, pencak silat, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said the two sports meets under the auspices of the Philippine Sports Commission are by virtue of Executive Order 44-1998 at 163-1994.
A total of 149 cities and 82 provinces from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are expected to join the two tournaments. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
