Baguio will re-live its glory days as venue for big sports competitions when the North-Central Luzon qualifier of the revived “Batang Pinoy” youth games unfolds this Wednesday at the Burnham Park athletic bowl.
City sports officer-in-charge Gaudencio Gonzales last Friday said between 3,000 to 4,000 athletes are expected to participate in 14 events lined up.
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The four-day competitions are open to youth aged 13 to 15 years old, representing a province, town or city in Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera. The winners will represent the North-Central Luzon cluster in the national finals set on Dec. 10-13 in Naga City.
In talks with city mayor Mauricio Domogan, PSC executive director Chito Loyzaga and commission Jose Luis Gomez explained that the annual youth games were also revived to serve as a recruitment base for athletes to be trained for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.
Thirteen events will be divided into the boys and girls brackets: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, 3-on-3 basketball, chess, judo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
Boxing will be limited to boys while entries in gymnastics, given the lack of participants, will be competing directly in the national finals.
Gonzales said Baguio has no difficulty fielding bets in all of the events, except in weightlifting, a discipline the city used to dominate through the University of Baguio squad that eventually was dismantled.
“I guess we need to revive the weightlifting program, as the event is suited for the Cordilleran physique,” Gonzales said.
Baguio and Cordillera athletes are expected to make their marks in athletics, judo, taekwondo and wrestling, aside from swimming and archery.
PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia will deliver his message at the opening program Wednesday afternoon at the athletic bowl, after which mayor Domogan will declare the games open.
Competitions will begin the following day in the following venues: athletics – PSC track oval, Teachers Camp; archery – athletic bowl, basketball – St. Louis University covered courts, boxing – Cooyesan, Badminton – Baguio City National High School, chess 0 University of the Philippines, judo – University of Baguio gym, lawn tennis – Baguio Tennis Court, Swimming – athletic bowl, table tennis – University of the Philippines, taekwondo – University of Baguio, weightlifting – FVR Youth Center, and wrestling – Engineer’s Hill covered court.
Other members of the organizing committee are city administrator Carlos Canilao, Sangguniang Kabataan federation president and city councilor Cheryl Dinney Yangot, city schools superintendent Ellen Donato, PSC-Teachers Camp sports manager Juanito Smith and mayor’s office executive assistant Joe Atanac - (PIA / by Ramon Dacawi)
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