By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Around 4,000 athletes and coaches from 71 local government units are expected to participate in the 2018 Batang Pinoy Mindanao Games on March 6 to 12 in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental.
Student-athletes will compete in 18 sports namely archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, karatedo, tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and beach volleyball.
Arnis, girls’ basketball, boxing, tennis and pencak silat kick off right on the opening day of the event offering 1,074 medals.
A simple opening ceremony will be held at the Misamis Occidental Provincial Athletic Complex on March 6 and will be attended by the Philippine Sports Commission Board together with Misamis Occidental Gov. Herminia Ramiro and Oroquieta City Mayor Jason Almonte.
The event is part of PSC’s grassroots program of discovering athletes for future national teams.