Batang Pinoy M. Manila leg under way

Hoping to find new talents, the P23-million POC-PSC Batang Pinoy 2012 unveiled its Metro Manila leg yesterday at the Marikina Sports Complex.

Action shifts to high gear today in the majority of the 13 sports, including the centerpiece events of swimming and track and field. At least nine golds will be at stake in the opening day of the athletics competitions.

Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman made the welcome address before the athletes at the age-old sports complex which has hosted international meets like the Asian Athletics Championships and the Asian Softball Championships several decades back.

The initial leg of a planned six-stop Batang Pinoy program will serve as qualifying for National Capital Region athletes in the national finals set in December in Iloilo City.

Overall project director and Philippine Sports Commissioner Jolly Gomez said they are setting aside more funds to maximize participation in the event.

Top sports officials led by Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., and PSC chair Richie Garcia declared the games open. Also gracing the opening rites were Department of Education regional director Luz Almeda and superintendent Eduardo Lopez.

“Aside from discovering talents, we are looking at increasing the number of participants,” said Gomez, who also said they expect about 7,000 athletes to see action in the games this year. “We are creating a pool of young athletes for the national sports associations.”

Gomez said the athletes who will stand out in the meet may be sent abroad through sports exchange programs.

“We are working out an agreement with groups in the United States, Australia and China,” he said.

“We want to create a continuous measuring stick for athletes who are too old to compete in Palaro elementary level and too young for high school. We noticed that in Palarong Pambansa some of the athletes who excel in elementary drop out. The same thing happens in high school. We want to plug the holes in these gaps.”