City to support Batang Pinoy athletes

DAVAO City will send a delegation to the Mindanao Leg of the Batang Pinoy 2012 Games slated November 7 to 10 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge Pochollo M. Elegino, who was a guest during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn on Tuesday, said the city will support athletes in arnis, athletics, badminton, chess and swimming.

"Maghatag mi ug subsidy para sa ilang uniforms, transportation and meal allowance para sa atong mga atleta. Kung successful man pud sila, naa mi i-prepare nga mga cash incentives sa mga medalists (We will subsidize athletes' uniforms, transportation and meal allowance. We will also prepare cash incentives for the medalists)," Elegino said.

Elegino also said the city will also support the athletes who will qualify for the national championships set in December in Iloilo City. The Cagayan de Oro meet will serve as qualifying for the nationals.

The city sports chief added that he suggested to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to support athletes in all sports entered in the Batang Pinoy roster of events but the lady mayor declined since she only wants to send athletes who have good chances of winning medals for the city.

The city's judo team recently defended its over-all championship in the Batang Pinoy national judo competition held in Marikina. The SDD-CMO is preparing the documents for reimbursement of the team's expenses.

It can be recalled that Davao City finished second in the 2011 Mindanao qualifying held in Zamboanga by collecting 36 golds, 31 silvers and 47 bronzes. The host city harvested 85 golds, 105 silvers and 61 bronzes.

Hopes are high that Davao's arnisadors will again live up to their billing having swept seven golds, four silvers and one bronze in Zamboanga last year.

Elegino, meanwhile, bared SDD-CMO's activities for the last quarter including aerobic exercises to be held on Saturdays starting next month and martial arts/self-defense workshops in Barangay 31-D.

"This workshop is intended to teach the kids and barangay officials the art of self-defense so that they will know how to protect themselves and promote peace in the barangay," Elegino said.

The project proposal for the Pasko Fiesta Sportsfest had also been submitted to the Accounting Office.