By Xander Ledesma
The city government is set to send 196 athletes to the 2024 Batang Pinoy national championships, which will be held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, from November 23 to 28.
Rudiver Jungco Sr., Executive Assistant for Youth and Sports, shared on Monday that while the age requirement changes for this year, limiting participation to children aged 12 to 17, the city remains optimistic about the performance of its delegates. Despite the reduced number of entries, Jungco expects that 80 to 90 percent of the athletes could win medals, building on past successes, where most of the medals came from younger participants in the nine to ten age group.
The city’s athletes will compete in a range of sports, including badminton, boxing, cycling, dance sports, judo, jujitsu, karatedo, kickboxing, obstacle course, swimming, pencak silat, table tennis, and taekwondo.
A majority of the athletes are graduates of the Iloilo City Sports Academy (ICSA), the local government’s grassroots sports program that has earned recognition as one of the country’s best governance practices by the Galing Pook Foundation.
To support the athletes, the city government has allocated PHP2.1 million for their expenses. Iloilo City placed sixth in the 2023 Batang Pinoy competition and fifth in 2022, with hopes of improving this year.
Additionally, Jungco mentioned plans to expand the sports offerings at ICSA, including the potential addition of gymnastics, should a qualified trainer become available.