BORACAY—The Philippine National Games will showcase the elite athletes of the national team when it fires off today in the cities of Bacolod and Silay in Negros Occidental.
Athletics, arnis and gymnastics take centerstage first with the national open and junior track and field championships offering a total of 19 gold medals at the Panaad Sports Complex oval.
Four golds each will be at stake in the Filipino martial arts arnis and gymnastics.
Hometown favorites and 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Arnel Ferreira and Rosette Villarito are expected to draw most of the attention in their respective events in the week-long meet serving as national opens for most national sports associations and tryouts for this year’s SEA Games in Indonesia.
Ferreira, 32, is a solid bet in the men’s hammer throw, an event the Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental, native has been dominating in the five editions of the SEAG.
The 31-year-old Villarito, who hails from Bago City, will try her hand in women’s shot put this time after clinching the gold in women’s javelin in Laos.
Asian women’s long jump champion Marestella Torres and long distance runner Eduardo Buenavista are also seeing action in the four-day trackfest of the PNG sponsored by Smart, Procter and Gamble, Scratch It, Go for Gold, Summit Water, Accel, Super Ferry and Negros Navigation.
The arnis golds up for grabs at the Silay City plaza, are the men’s and women’s teams and individual “anyo” (form).
Over at the San Agustin College gym in downtown Bacolod, gymnastics stakes gold in the cheer dance, and men’s and women’s individual all-around events.
An estimated 4,000 athletes, including 800 national team mainstays and members of the developmental pool, will compete in 34 sports.
Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia, Philippine Olympic Committee secretary general Steve Hontiveros, Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia and Silay City Mayor Oti Montelibano formally opened the games at the new Bacolod City hall where the Olympic Day and 100 Years of Philippine Sports races started and ended.