A young Hidilyn Diaz shows her winning form back in 2018 in an event hosted by the Philippine Sports Commission. It was also during this year when she delivered the Philippines’ first gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games after reigning supreme in the women’s weightlifting 53 kg at the Jakarta International Expo in Indonesia. (PSC photo/file)
MANILA, (PIA) — The National Capital Region is set to welcome some 18,000 student-athletes, aged 10 to 25, who will be competing in Manila and nearby cities for the 2023 edition of the Philippine National Games (PNG) and Batang Pinoy from December 17 to 22.
According to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) NCR DRRM Division chief Rodella Rosario Rodriguez, at least 14 regional agencies and five local government units will be providing disaster risk reduction and management support for the six-day, national level event that highlights the nation’s emerging young talents organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
“An estimate of 18,000 student athletes from 149 cities and municipalities and 82 provinces will be competing in this year’s sporting event to be held at 36 competition venues, and at 60 billeting areas,” Rodriguez said.
The start of the PNG and Batang Pinoy is set at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Students earned qualification in 25 sports after months of tryouts. They will vie for honors in events hosted across the cities of Manila, Pasay, Pasig, San Juan, Paranaque, and Makati. The young athletes will also be supported by student officials, coaches and delegates.
Considered the “centerpiece sports program” for developing grassroots potential, the PNG serves as the culminating event of local and regional qualifiers from an initial pool of 5 million youth. On the other hand, the Batang Pinoy specifically targets under-15-year-olds. Together they form the cornerstone of the PSC’s long-term sports development agenda.
“There are 2,986 medals at stake for the PNG and 4,811 in Batang Pinoy,” PSC Chairperson Richard “Dickie” E. Bachmann said.
Bachmann said that they are proud to stage the PNG and Batang Pinoy, as he underscored their commitment to strengthening athletics nationwide and getting communities involved from the bottom-up.
He also thanked the host cities for their readiness to efficiently accommodate athletes and guests and said that staging major sports events also builds LGU capacity, which also highlights team effort by the national agencies and localities.
Since 1994, the PNG has produced youth standouts like Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz. Today’s promising teenage competitors hope to follow her example and bring pride to the Philippines. Metro Manila last hosted Batang Pinoy and the PNG in 2014. (PIA-NCR)
