B Pinoy nat'l finals under way

NAGA CITY, Philippines  – The Batang Pinoy National Championships, the culmination of a regional multi-sports event for student-athletes and out-of-school youth, fires off today with over 2,000 fighting for supremacy in various fronts and spots in the national team vying in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

The talent search, featuring the gold and silver medal winners in the regional qualifiers in National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, was ushered in yesterday at Plaza Quezon in rain-drenched rites graced by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, a former long-time mayor of this city, and Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, who represented President Aquino.

Host Mayor John Bongat and Philippine Sports commissioners Chito Loyzaga, Jolly Gomez and Akiko Thompson-Guevarra were also in attendance in the inaugurals highlighted by the traditional parade of participating teams, the lighting of the urn and the unveiling of the People Power monument in honor of late President Corazon Aquino.

“It’s all systems go,” said Loyzaga, himself an accomplished athlete.

The gold medal chase starts today in athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, judo, swimming, lawn tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling.

Gymnastics was the first to finish while indigenous sport arnis was cancelled.

Triathlon, which features a 250m swim, 5K biking and 1.2K running, is set today for boys and girls while the mixed relay event will be held tomorrow at the Naga Sports Complex.

Southern Tagalog has the most local government units that qualified with a total of 20 headed by traditional powerhouse Laguna, which is fielding in 89 gold and 75 silver medal winners.

The NCR will be represented by Manila, Quezon City, Marikina, Makati, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Parañaque, Pasig, Pasay, Valenzuela and Malabon.

Northern Luzon has fielded in 19 LGUs led by Baguio City, known for its contact sports and arnis, Mindanao 12 including regional champion Zamboanga City and Visayas 12 headed by Cebu.