IT’S gold or bust for Baguio City athletes as they open their campaign in the Philippine National Games (PNG) in Cebu.
The Summer Capital bets are hoping to maintain or even surpass their medal standings in 2016 even with the tough contest against members of the national team and athletes coming from Quezon City, Manila, and Cebu.
The PNG will be co-hosted by the Province of Cebu and Cebu City from May 19 to 25 with 21 sporting events on tap.
These sports are archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, volleyball indoor and outdoor, gymnastics and rugby football.
Members of the Philippine National Team dominated the 2016 contest in Lingayen, Pangasinan hauling 178 gold medals, 72 silver and 49 bronze while Cebu City placed third with 31-32-51.
Baguio City hauled 40-25-21 for a decent second place finish.
“Our aim is to maintain our medal standings this year because our athletes will be facing tough competition especially from the national team,” said Baguio City Sports Coordinator Gaundecio Gonzales.
Baguio has sent 210 athletes and officials for the weeklong tournament organized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Gonzales added they are pinning hopes on archery, arnis, athletics, boxing, chess, cycling, judo, taekwondo, karatedo, sepak takraw, triathlon and weightlifting for the medal haul.
At least 1,200 policemen will secure President Rodrigo Duterte during his visit this weekend in Cebu City, Tabogon and Alegria towns.
Senior Superintendent Julian Entoma, Regional Operations and Plans Division of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas, said that around 400 police officers will guard the president in each venue.
“Our security plan for the president’s visit are already in place. There will be civil disturbance management personnel that will be augmented particularly at the Cebu City Sports Complex, as well as in other venues,” Entoma said.
Duterte is set to grace the opening ceremony of the Philippine National Games in Cebu City on Saturday.
The Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Cebu Provincial Mobile Force Company will also be on standby and have started clearing operations at the venues in Tabogon and Alegria, Entoma said.
Over 3,000 athletes coming from 96 local government units (LGU) from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will vie for the 2,578 medals – 770 gold medals, 770 silver medals and 1,038 bronze medals—from 19 sports.
The organizers will award an overall champion, which is the LGU with the most gold medals. Overall Top 5 will be awarded. The champion will get P5 million sporting assistance, P4 million, P3 million, P2 million and P1 million for overall second to fifth placers, respectively. (Roderick Osis with a report from SunStar Cebu)