TUBOD, LANAO DEL Norte—The Mindanao qualifying games of the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival will begin today with over 2,000 athletes expected to show up at the Mindanao Civic Center here.

Zamboanga, the Mindanao qualifying champion, will lead 21 other local government units in the region which have brought their best athletes to compete in 20 sports for the overall plum.

“This is a good opportunity to identify the prospective talents for the national team since we will witness the most promising athletes the region could offer in one venue,” said Philippine Olympic Committee and POF chair Robert Aventajado.

The traditional torch relay will kick off the opening rites in Linamon, from where it will pass through five other municipalities before reaching this town, which played host to the 2004 edition of the Palarong Pambansa.

Lanao Del Norte governor Khalid Dimaporo will light the Olympic cauldron during the 3 p.m. opening parade with commissioner Eric Loretizo of the Philippine Sports Commission and high-ranking provincial officials witnessing the event.

As the number of athletes ballooned to more than 2,000, organizers have added volleyball, badminton and softball to the usual roster of 17 sports of the week-long event backed by Globe, Pagcor, Accel, Summit, AMA Computer and Negros Navigation.

Medalists and topnotch performers in the Mindanao and other qualifying legs will advance to the national championships at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in October, where the most promising athletes get a rare chance to be included in the national pool.

According to Aventajado, the POF was patterned after the talent-identification programs of Australia and China, two countries considered as Olympics powerhouses.

Aventajado added that the third edition of the POF, which started with the Central-Northern Luzon qualifying in Subic last month, is the talent-search engine of the POC for the 2012 London Olympics.

General Santos City, whose swimmers accounted for 45 of the 89 gold medals it won in the Cagayan De Oro staging last year, poses the biggest threat to Zamboanga’s crown.

Zamboanga leaned on its swimmers, track and field athletes and wrestlers to capture the Mindanao title with 98 gold medals, 50 silvers and 34 bronzes.