Baguio eyes overall title anew as Batang Pinoy unfolds in Puerto Princesa

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KICKOFF. The 2024 Batang Pinoy gets going with an opening parade in Puerto Princesa.

Over 11,000 student-athletes gather in Puerto Princesa this week to fight for sporting honor in Batang Pinoy

PALAWAN, Philippines – Four-time defending champion Baguio City guns for its fifth straight crown as it leads the opening of the 16th Batang Pinoy National Championships on Saturday, November 23, in Puerto Princesa here.

Accompanied by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, 631 student-athletes will represent the Summer Capital of the country in the annual grassroots multi-sports event.

“As defending overall champions, our chances of winning is still very high,” said Vittorio Jerico Cawis, Baguio’s head of delegation.

“We think that the delegates are highly prepared, although some of our prized athletes are not here [since they’re competing] in international competitions,” he added.

From the initial over 620 delegates, Baguio’s bets got whittled down to around 570, with their medal hopes still hinged mainly on combat sports.

A total of 1,548 gold medals will be at stake across 30 sports, where 177 local government units consisting of provinces, cities, charter cities, and municipalities duke it out from November 24 to 28.

Some events were added such as jiu-jitsu, kurash, and obstacle sports, while soft tennis was brought back.

There will be three age brackets in the competition that gathered over 11,000 student-athletes — 12 to 13 years old, 14 to 15, and 16 to 17.

According to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair Richard Bachmann, the government’s sports arm will award a cash prize of ₱5 million to the overall champion.

The other top five finishers will also receive incentives of P4 million (first runner-up), P3 million (second), P2 million (third), and P1 million (fourth).

A parade of athletes highlighted the opening ceremonies at the Ramon V. Mitra Jr. Sports Complex on Saturday, capped off with a colorful pyrotechnic display.

It’s Puerto Princesa’s third Batang Pinoy hosting after also taking charge of the 2002 and 2019 editions.

After the Batang Pinoy, Puerto Princesa will host the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) games immediately after the grassroots event. – Rappler.com

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