Don’t look now but children from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could compete in the Batang Pinoy Games.
Philippine Sports Commission chair Butch Ramirez went to the MILF camp on Saturday and brought the Mindanao Sports For Peace caravan of the government with the main objective of setting up the country’s grassroots sports program in the area.
“We are giving special attention to the MILF youth, so we are trying to finalize our PSC-MILF sports program,” said Ramirez, who has been negotiating the program with MILF vice chair Ghazali Jaafar.
Besides developing sports in the camp, Ramirez wants to plant the seeds of a consistent and progressive agenda where the youth can eventually play in the Batang Pinoy and the adults can see action in the Philippine National Games.
The Batang Pinoy Games is a multisport event for children 17 years old and below while the PNG is for topnotch athletes who want to be part of the national team for tournaments abroad.