CLOSE to a thousand elementary and high school athletes will see action at this year’s Benguet Provincial Sports Meet which starts Wednesday in Wangal, La Trinidad.

Host La Trinidad won the over-all championship last year with a medal haul of 134 golds, 74 silvers, and 73 bronzes.

Tuba finished second and Itogon third.

Also competing are Mankayan, Benguet State University, Kapangan, Tublay, Bokod, Buguias, Kabayan, Atok, Kibungan, Bakun and Sablan.

In his opening message, Governor Nestor Fongwan stressed to participants the importance of sports a unifying activity for the whole community.

“We have improved a lot since we started developing our facilities in the previous years, not only in the local sports activities such as this provincial meet but also value our efforts as a contributor to the Cordillera Region in the Palarong Pambansa,” Fongwan said.

The athletes will be competing in athletics, swimming, lawn tennis, gymnastics, taekwondo, football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, badminton, table tennis, chess, sepak takraw, archery, boxing, arnis, wushu, wrestling, billiards, futsal, plus two indigenous sport, kadang-kadang and bunong braso.