Swim, athletics biggest draw in Batang Pinoy

Swimming, athletics and taekwondo are the biggest draw while Laguna and Negros Occidental are tops in terms of delegation size in the fourth Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy to be staged in Puerto Princesa and Palawan for eight days starting Sunday.

Of the more than 2,000 athletes listed, 331, or 15 percent, are competing in the swimming competitions of the Batang Pinoy to be staged primarily at Puerto Princesa’s 8,000-seat sports complex inside Santa Monica Heights.

Athletics has 322 athletes and taekwondo 257, figures which Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Eric Buhain said underscore the success of the government’s centerpiece sports program that caters to elementary school athletes.

What makes Buhain doubly happy is the continued enthusiasm shown by local sports councils (LSCs), or local government units (LGUs), especially those that are sending bigger delegation to the 21-sport meet.

Laguna topped them all with a delegation of 250 athletes and officials, an indication that the province is serious in its bid to topple Manila as reigning overall champion. Negros Occidental, a similarly sports-oriented province in the Visayas, will send a 220-member delegation just to give Manila and Laguna a run for their money.