GIVING cash incentives to Davao City medalists in the recently-concluded 9th Bimp-Eaga Friendship Games and Batang Pinoy National Championships will be up to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, a city sports official said.
Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge Mikey Aportadera bared this Thursday, December 15, during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao.
He said the Office of the City Mayor already asked from our office the list of the medalists.
"The list is already with Attorney (Raul) Nadela. They will deliberate what to do with it. But hard work in representing the city and the country needs to be recognized," Aportadera said.
He also said that it's Mayor Duterte's call to give incentives and how much she will give to both Eaga Games and Batang Pinoy medalists.
Davao City hauled a total of one gold medal, four silvers and 10 bronzes in the biennial Games held in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Only the men's basketball team bannered by Holy Cross of Davao College Crusaders and one Ateneo de University Blue Knight brought home the city's one and only gold while the athletics, badminton, sepak takraw, and beach volleyball accounted for the silvers and bronzes.
In Batang Pinoy 2016, Davao City was fourth overall in the partial medal tally after the meet held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte with a harvest of 31 golds, 44 silvers, and 59 bronzes. But the city's wushu team added four more golds and four bronzes in the Batang Pinoy 2016 Wushu Sanda Tournament held at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City early this month.
Aportadera then thanked all the athletes and coaches who participated in the two sporting meets and for giving their best for the city and the country.
He, however, suggested that regional eliminations be held before a national competition to limit the number of entries and to also protect the welfare of the athletes. He was pertaining to the fate the athletes went through in the Tagum Batang Pinoy where games were held until early morning, depriving athletes of sleep.
"I would prefer regional eliminations first before the national finals," he said although still lauding the provincial government of Davao del Norte and city government of Tagum and the Philippine Sports Commission for the staging of the Batang Pinoy 2016 National Championships despite time constraints.