Batang Pinoy starts; search on for future PH stars

NAGA CITY—Mothballed for 7 years, Batang Pinoy, the country’s widest-reaching grassroots sports event, unfurled Friday with at least 2,000 athletes 15 years old and younger seeing action for the next five days.

The gold and silver winners from the six regional eliminations will strut their wares
and jockey starting today for slots in the national developmental pool of the organizing Philippine Sports Commission.

PSC commissioners Jolly Gomez and Chito Loyzaga led the opening ceremony at Plaza Quezon. President Aquino was represented by Local Government Sec. Jessie Robredo.

“Our mission on reviving Batang Pinoy is to search raw talents from the countryside that we can tap as future members of the developmental training pool,” said Loyzaga. “This early, we already see a bright future for Philippine sports.”

Manila and Quezon City are expected to dominate as they starred in the recent National Capital Region. Manila’s pride include triple gold winner
Gerry Santiago in athletics where they accounted for 29 of 36 golds. QC will lean on its swimmers who bagged 30 of 44 golds staked.

Tayabas and Laguna are also on target in boxing where they split the 14 golds in the Southern Tagalog eliminations held in
Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Also expected to shine are Bianca Roxas-Chua Gotuaco, who ruled the FITA 18-meter and Olympic Rounds in the NCR qualifying, and 13-year-old Nina Carmela Zamora, who swept girls’ badminton.

Gotuaco, 14 and Zamora, the No. 5 junior player under the PBAR ranking of the Philippine Badminton Association, are both eligible candidates for the 2014 Youth Olympics.