VIGAN CITY – At least 5,000 athletes and coaches have arrived in this heritage city of Ilocos Sur to compete in the inaugural leg of the 2017 Batang Pinoy which fires off today in various venues here.
The Philippine Sports Commission, which organizes this multi-sport event for out-of-school youth athletes aged 15 years old and below, are expecting more to come from the 126 local government units that have initially confirmed.
Participants will be competing in 18 sports, including archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, and karatedo.
Also on tap are tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball.
The week-long event formally opens today at the President Quirino Stadium with Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis Singson, Vigan City Mayor Juan Carlo Medina, Bantay City Mayor Samuel Parilla II, and Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos gracing the occasion.
The Vigan leg is just one of the three legs of the event, which is part of PSC’s vision of strengthening the country’s grassroots sports program.