The Cebu City contingent performs during the opening of the Batang Pinoy Visayas qualifying at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex in Dumaguete City. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Batang Pinoy Visayas
Dumaguete City — Action in the first-ever Batang Pinoy Visayas Games 2017 begins today in various venues around this city in Negros Oriental.
While all sporting events begin today, eyes will be on the medal-rich athletics and swimming, which will be held at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.
These two events, together with archery, may produce medalists as early as this morning since the other sporting events will still be in their elimination stages.
Tracksters from Cebu Province and the Cebu City Niños are ready for the battle ahead.
Cebu Province athletic coach Francis Berezo said he is pinning his hopes on his 17 tracksters whom he trained for two months under the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission’s (CPSC) grassroots development program.
“We trained for this meet for two months but our program is year-round and the athletes always practice so they are always ready for competition,” Berezo said. “I don’t want to be overconfident that all my athletes will win gold medals but I trust in their skills that they can perform their best in the competition.”
Cebu Province has 170 plus athletes competing in this multi-sporting meet organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). The competition is for student-athletes aged 15 and below and is a qualifying tournament for the national finals next year.
Lawyer Ramil Abing, executive director of the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission, takes a groufie with athletes from the Cebu Province in front of the Negros Oriental Capitol building.
(CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Tough competition
Berezo’s tracksters are from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), Sisters of Mary Boystown in Minglanilla and from schools in Oslob, Dalaguete, Daan Bantayan and Camotes Island.
“We have entries in most of the track and field events like the throwing, sprint, jumping and long distance running and we expect a tough competition in the next few days,” added Berezo.
The Niños meanwhile, will field in almost the same number of athletes as Cebu Province in the track and field, according to head coach Ernesto Ybañez Jr.
Ybañez feels his team will face an uphill climb in the weeklong meet.
“Most of them are new to the Batang Pinoy and considering that the meet applies for athletes in the 15-under age category and most of our regular athletes have reached the age limit, the competition is going to be tough for us,” said Ybañez Jr. “Most of us are adjusting with the new age limit of Batang Pinoy so let’s see what happens.”
There are eight track and field events to be played today with the first gold medal likely to come from either the 5,000-meter steeple chase, long jump girls or the shot put girls as all three events will start simultaneously at 7 a.m.
The rest of the events in track and field for today are 400m hurdles for boys and girls, 100m run for boys and girls, high jump for boys, javelin throw for girls, and 2000m walk for boys and girls.
Dumaguete City mayor Felipe Antonio “Ipe” Remollo welcomed the athletes during yesterday’s opening ceremony at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex oval.
In his speech, he said he expects a smooth hosting of the games.
“With the cooperation of the province, DepEd (Departmen of Education) and the PSC, I believe that we will have a good hosting, a good competition. We have the best athletes in the Visayas. I just hope that our athletes won’t get injured and I hope that our city will have a successful hosting of this major sporting event,” he said.
Joining him in the opening was PSC commissioner Celia Hicarte-Kiram.
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