BAGUIO City junior athletes are setting up their gears as they eye to claim the overall title in the upcoming 2016 Batang Pinoy-Luzon Leg in Ilagan, Isabela, on August.
With two months to go before the annual qualifying sports race for athletes 15 years old and below kicks off, the Summer Capital is already locking its target for another stellar finish this year.
City sports development officer Gaudencio Gonzales said the training period has already started with the LGU expecting to carry a stronger delegation from the previous outing.
“We are looking forward to the performances of our delegation this time around. From the rookies we carried from last year, perhaps they will be able to execute better especially with the preparations already taking place,” Gonzales told Sun.Star Baguio.
Gonzales said the Baguio delegation will try to keep a more focused strategy against 100 other LGU’s from Luzon in order to display dominance in the week-long competition.
“Although Baguio has been among the top contenders in Batang Pinoy for the past years, we must try to do better. We have the target to reclaim the top spot that we lost two years ago,” Gonzales added.
Last year, Baguio was shadowed in the Luzon qualifiers by defending champion Quezon City, with their 47 gold, 29 silver, and 27 bronze against the Summer Capital’s 42-40-46 haul.
Quezon City also toppled Baguio in 2014 stopping the Summer Capital’s grandslam bid with 50-41-35 medal haulas compared to city’s 32-38-35.
“We hope to gain our advantage this time around, kung maari we will try to bring more of our best athletes who can uplift the city in the medal race,” Gonzales quipped.
According to the city official, the City Sports Office (CSO) have yet to confirm the number of the delegates this year.
Just this week, the Philippine Sports Commission announced the rescheduling of the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao legs of the 2016 Batang Pinoy from its original schedule, second week of June.
Gonzales on the other hand said the PSC already phoned the CSO it will be rearranged in August.
Since 2011 the Philippine Youth Games–Batang Pinoy, served as the national sports competition program for children envisioned to address the need for a grassroots sports program centered on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.
The program aims to provide the structure for a truly comprehensive sports development program for children 15 years old and below and will serve as a pool for drafting athletes to be sent in various aged grouped international competitions.