Hostilities at the 2016 edition of the 2016 Batang Pinoy National championships will begin today at the Tagum City Sports Complex with an estimated 9,000 athletes in attendance.
“This is an opportunity for our players to test their skills in actual competition,” said Baguio City-based lawyer Jesse Lacsigen, head of a four-man karatedo man.
Also expected to beat the deadline is Mayor Ruben Tindaan’s karatedo team from La Trinidad, Benguet. Tindaan, the mayor of Buguias, Benguet holds the rank of 5th dan black belt from the Japan Karate Association.
The Philippine Sports Commission has tapped Davao del Norte as host of the championships, the agency’s national competition program for children slated Nov. 27- Dec. 2.
Davao del Norte, which staged the Palarong Pambansa last year, will host an estimated 9,000 athletes aged 17 and below from various local government units nationwide in the first major grassroots meet under the Duterte administration.
PSC chairman Butch Ramirez said the Batang Pinoy is in line with the commission’s commitment “to develop and promote sports through encouraging sports programs to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy citizenry.
“The program encourages all local government executives to invest in the development of sports within their respective areas. It also aims to widen the base to select potential athletes for future national and international sports competitions, primarily the quadrennial Youth Olympic Games,” said Ramirez.
Originally a tournament for 16-under athletes, the Batang Pinoy will now accommodate 17-year-old bets to make it in sync with the government’s K to 12 education program.
“Batang Pinoy will now be an open tournament for children 17 years old and below. Based on the Batang Pinoy calendar year 2016, an athlete must be born in 1999 and the years thereafter,” said PSC research
Other sports featured in Batang Pinoy are athletics, swimming, archery, lawn tennis, rugby football, triathlon, boxing, weightlifting, wushu, judo, karatedo, wrestling, table tennis, soft tennis, rugby football, sepak takraw, cycling, dance sport, cycling, basketball (3-on-3), badminton, baseball and gymnastics.
Gymnastics, however, will be held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex for lack of competition equipment at the Tagum Sports and Tourism Complex.
