Athletes 15 – years – old and below across the country return to competition in the blended Batang Pinoy National Games which takes place this December with Vigan City as host. SCORE photo
Will Baguio City dominate the return of Batang Pinoy in December?
Or other local government units have stepped up their game to challenge the reigning champs?
Batang Pinoy National Games takes place this December with Vigan City as host of the first blended sporting event since the pandemic.
Blended because there will be games to be played online while others to be played at the venue.
Baguio City has dominated the Batang Pinoy for three straight years from 2017 to 2019 before the whole world came to a halt in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The face-to-face or onsite sports events that will be featured in Vigan, Ilocos Sur are archery, athletics, badminton, chess, cycling, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting, and obstacle course.
Arnis, dance sport, judo, karate-do, Muay Thai, Pencak Silat, wushu, and taekwondo are planned to be competed virtually.
Baguio City has always pinned its hopes on combative sports as it seeks a rare four peat in the tournament that will be played from December 4 to 10.
And with its eyes on a rare grand slam of sorts, the city government has conducted series of try outs and elimination since July and last August 23, coaches and other sports officials will have to submit the results of the tryout.
Gaudencio Gonzales, Baguio’s sports development officer said with the blended competition, close to 200 athletes will see action in Vigan.
In the 2019 edition, Baguio City bagged 62 gold medals including 45 silver, and 70 bronze during the week-long national youth sports competition organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for athletes.
Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games–Batang Pinoy, serves as the national sports competition program for children, and is envisioned to address the need for a grassroots sports program centered on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.
Batang Pinoy is designed in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.
The Philippine Olympic Committee and National Sports Associations, both non-government entities and internationally recognized authorities in different sports, shall run and oversee the technical management of the event. SCORE
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