Batang Pinoy SL leg unfolds tomorrow

ANOTHER regional qualifier for the national championship of the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission Batang Pinoy Games unfolds tomorrow at the Jose Leido Memorial High School track in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

The Southern Luzon qualifying leg will feature athletes 15 years and younger from Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Cavite, Quezon and Mindoro competing in 11 sports with the top performers qualifying to the national championship in Iloilo City on Dec. 5 to 8.

The guests during the opening ceremony of the five-day games are headed by Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr., Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Vice Gov. Rodolfo Valencia, PSC chair Richie Garcia and PSC commissioner Jolly Gomez.

The Batang Pinoy got going with the National Capital Region leg in Marikina City last month followed by the Northern Luzon event in Lingayen, Pangasinan, two weeks ago.

Future talents for the national team are expected to be discovered from athletics, arnis, badminton, boxing, chess, karatedo, lawn tennis, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis and wrestling in the Southern Luzon tryouts.

“This is a rare chance for the best young athletes in the region to come out and show off their skills,” said Gomez. “We’re excited to find such talents here in the Batang Pinoy and help them maximize their potentials.’’

The gold medalists of the Batang Pinoy finals will be groomed to represent the country in the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.

A refresher course is scheduled for all national and local technical officials today at Riceland function hall while the solidarity meeting among coaches, trainers, team managers and delegation heads will be held tomorrow at Gov. Alfonso Umali Memorial Gymnasium.