ILOCOS SUR — The Philippine Sports Commission-Batang Pinoy National Championships makes its return after years of absence with five sports ushering in the country’s centerpiece grassroots development program in this province that fully re-opened itself to tourists.

Archery, badminton, chess, table tennis, and medal-rich swimming open up hostilities in different venues distributed to various Ilocos Sur cities and municipalities.

Archery is set at the San Ildefonso Central School grounds, badminton at the Ilocos Sur Badminton Center and Vigan Convention Center, chess at the Baluarte Function Hall, table tennis at the San Vicente Gym, and swimming at the Quirino Stadium pool in Bantay.

While the action unfolds today, medals will start to get reaped the next day in centerpiece athletics at the Quirino grounds, archery, cycling starting and ending at the Provincial Capitol in Vigan, and weightlifting at the Caoayan Gym.

Obstacle sports, for its part, will start Monday at the Sta. Catalina Gym.

No less than host Ilocos Sur Gov. Jerry Singson, Philippine Sports Commission chair Noli Eala and commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, and Tokyo Olympics boxing silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam are gracing the parade of colors slated in the afternoon at Quirino before more than half of the 6,000 in and out-of-school youth athletes from 140 local government units across the nation.

“The goal of Gov. Singson is to show to the whole country, not just the province and Region I, that Ilocos Sur tourism is now fully open to business,” said Jester Singson, special assistant to the governor in sports.

Apart from the eight disciplines to be staged here, the Batang Pinoy will also have eight online events in arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, muay, Pencak silat, taekwondo, and wushu, which will be streamed on the PSC’s Facebook and YouTube platforms.

“The Batang Pinoy program has already produced numerous champions in various sports since it started in 1999. I am sure that the stories of our bemedaled athletes will inspire our young athletes who will be competing in Ilocos Sur, to reach the height they have achieved,” said Eala.
Eala added that this is aimed to heed the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to bring sports closer to every Filipino.

“This is PSC caring for Philippine sports at all levels, like no other,” he said.

Senator Imee Marcos, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino officials of various National Sports Association are also gracing the inaugurals that hope to produce future champions in the molds of Petecio and Paalam as well as weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the country’s first Olympic gold medal winner.