5,000 in Vigan for Batang Pinoy

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur – At least 5,000 athletes and coaches have arrived in this heritage city to compete in the inaugural leg of the 2017 Batang Pinoy which fires off today in various venues here.

The Philippine Sports Commission, which organizes this multi-sport event for out-of-school youth athletes aged 15 years old and below, is expecting more to come from the 126 local government units that have initially confirmed.

Eighteen sports will be played here, including archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, karatedo, tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

The weeklong event formally opens at the President Quirino Stadium with Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis Singson, Vigan City Mayor Juan Carlo Medina, Bantay City Mayor Samuel Parilla II and Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos gracing the occasion.

Established through Executive Order No. 44 signed by then President Estrada in 1998, the first edition of Batang Pinoy was held in Bacolod City in 1999. It took a hiatus from 2003 to 2010 before getting revived in 2011.

Among the notable products of the event are national road cycling team member Marella Salamat, who won gold in the 2015 Singapore Southeast Asian Games, and steeplechase athlete Josh Buenavista, who bagged silver in the 2016 Children of Asia meet in Russia.