Batang Pinoy dangles national training pool slots

The Batang Pinoy Games promises to become a deep pool of potential talent that the Philippine Sports Institute could tap for the national team.

Over 5,000 athletes aged 17 years old and below will converge in Tagum City on Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 and compete in 26 sports in the first national multievent tournament under the leadership of President Duterte.

Mr. Duterte has been invited as guest of honor in the opening ceremony of the weeklong sports gathering where the medalists could be identified to train for the national pool.

“We’ll have data in terms of athletes, follow-up studies on them and closely monitor their progress,” said PSI national training director Mark Velasco during yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Batang Pinoy program director Larry Domingo said a total of 11,332 delegates, including coaches and officials, will compete in 600 events.