OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental -- After a grueling 15-hour bus trip, the 218-member Davao City delegation arrived here Sunday afternoon, March 4, with athletes ready to do battle as the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Leg formally unfurls here at 2 p.m. Tuesday, at the Misamis Occidental Provincial Athletics Complex (Mopac).
The Dabawenyos, seeing action in 15 of the 19 sports entered, are billeted at the Misamis Occidental Science and Technology High School and completed the registration process upon their arrival. Thus, leaving them a whole day yesterday to do light training and take the much needed rest before action begins tomorrow.
Davao City is fielding entries in arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, karatedo, tennis, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and beach volleyball events but won't be competing in archery, baseball, pencaksilat and softball.
A delegation meeting was being held at their quarters as of Monday. Boys basketball coach Rael Diaz said they will find out their itineraries during the meeting.
"Hindi pa kasi namin alam ano mga schedule, malalaman namin sa pinatawag na meeting ng Davao City delegation officials," Diaz told SunStar Davao.
Boxing head coach Jay Reeve Guerrero, for his part, said seven of the city's boxers are well despite the long trip from Davao City. They even underwent conditioning training yesterday morning.
The city, which recently salvaged three bronze medals in the PSC-Pacquiao Amateur Boxing Cup Mindanao finals in Cagayan de Oro City, will try to redeem itself in the weeklong Batang Pinoy games here.
"Dili lang mi mag-underestimate sa uban. Kusog biya jud ang Soccsksargen (We can't underestimate our rivals. Soccsksargen is a powerhouse in boxing)," he said.
Guerrero continued, "We will hope, try our best to bring home the bacon. Buhaton namo unsay makaya og sa buot sa Ginoo (We will give our all according to God's will)."
His assistant coach Librado Sagarino added that due to the postponement of the Batang Pinoy twice since last year, boxers gained more weight. But they worked it out already and only one pug has to reduce by one and a half kilo before boxing competition starts tomorrow at the Capitol Basketball Court.
Sagarino said, "Makaya ra man na makuha ang tamang timbang sa fight day (He can cut weight before he competes)."
Some 4,000 delegates of athletes, coaches and officials from 66 city, municipality and provincial delegations are participating in the sportsfest for 15 years old and below athletes. The Mindanao Leg of the Batang Pinoy, a program of the Philippine Sports Commission, serves as qualifying for the national championships.