I learned from Councilor Kevin F. Cabahug, Chairman of the Committee on Sports of the Mandaue City Sangguniang Panlungsod that a contingent from the city is now in Davao to participate in the 2016 Batang Pinoy Games.
This is good for the athletes, their coaches and managers.
At least, they would have an opportunity to pit their skills with their peers all over the country, and benchmark what more do they have to do to raise the level of their skills.
I just hope that something constructive would come out of the games, which could provide a few steps towards the realization of the dream of every sports enthusiast in the country of bringing back the glory days of Philippine sports, with or without the resolution of the impasse at the Philippine Olympic Committee.
If what happens in the past, where the athletes compete, and then go back to their respective bases, not having gained anything but being a fully subsidized tourist, then all the effort and the funds used to send a delegation to the games would have gone to naught.
The money could have been better applied to the acquisition of competition grade sports equipment, or to pay for the services of top-notch trainers for an honest to goodness grassroots program.
I have not hidden my aversion to the Batang Pinoy Games, right from the beginning.
The way the tournament was run, starting with the invitation asking—or was it more a command or at least a demand– the Mandaue City government to send a contingent smacked of utter unprofessionalism.
It appears that things have not improved, because according to a national tabloid, as late as January 18, 2016, the PSC was not sure whether the games could be held this year.
So during my watch as executive director of the Mandaue City Sports Commission, not a single athlete was sent to the Games.
Those who were really keen on travelling to the place where the games were held, managed to squeeze into the Cebu City contingent, in the events where the neighbouring city could not find a suitable representative.
At the time, I could easily surmise that the objective of holding the Games did not include sports development.
I think that perception has been validated by the end result of the conduct of the Games at least for the last 5 years.
Has there been any athlete who has competed in international tournaments who could be claimed by the Philippine Sports Commission as a product of the Batang Pinoy Games?
I may be wrong as I have not really followed the progress of the Games up to the present.
But given the time that I spend, reading the sports pages of almost all national and local papers, it is unlikely that I would miss such an achievement, if there has been one.
If the new leadership at the PSC has to give a go signal for this year’s version of the Games, without probably not too much knowledge about its history, it is probably because everything has been set, the budget already allocated and the needed preparations have been done by the host, Tagum City.
I would strongly suggest that a comprehensive evaluation be made of the games and decide if there is a need to reformat it, throw in much needed improvements, or scrap it entirely and come up with a replacement which would achieve whatever vision the PSC would like to pursue for Philippine sports.
I would recommend the same kind of evaluation by the different LGU’s, including Mandaue City. I am not aware how much Mandaue has allocated for her participation in the Games.
If the result is not pointing towards the direction that the Mandaue City Sports Commission is aiming for, then there should be a redirection of the funds in favour of a more developmental program.
It is gladdening to know that Mayor Quisumbing is putting his fingers into the sports pie.
With the able leadership of Councilor Cabahug and the assistance of his co-chairperson in the Sports Committee, Councilor Nilo Seno, a new day is dawning for sports in that premier city.