PSC begins talent-identifying program with 1,571 athletes tested in Batang Pinoy

The Philippine Sports Commission has begun identifying the potential of every child athlete with the goal of targeting a specific sport for the kid someday.

At the close of the Batang Pinoy national championships held at Puerto Princesa City on Sunday, the sports agency had randomly tested 1,571 athletes from 27 sports through the Philippine Sports Institute-Sports Mapping Action Research Talent Identification (Smart ID).

“We want every Filipino child be given the opportunity to be identified for sports excellence,” said PSI deputy national training director Henry Daut.

Aged 15 years old and younger, a total of 59 boxers, 153 wrestlers, 83 gymnasts, 13 cyclists, 66 tracksters, 32 triathletes, 95 volleyball players, 18 beach spikers, 75 taekwondo jins, 139 arnisadors and 28 shuttlers participated in the testing.

Daut said the physique of each child would also tell them the specific sports that could fit the athlete where maximum excellence could be achieved.

A total of 49 muay fighters, 25 netters, 81 wushu artists, 22 dancesport athletes, 33 pencak silat fighters, 64 swimmers, 79 from basketball, 44 clouters, 22 from table tennis, 77 rugby players, 43 judokas, 76 karatekas and 34 from sepak takraw likewise went through the Smart ID.

According to Daut, the PSI Smart ID, part of the PSC’s grassroots sports program, conducted anthropometric measurements among the Batang Pinoy participants.