The Philippine Sports Commission held an ocular inspection of venues and alignment meeting with the Ilocos Sur Provincial Government this weekend, as the 2022 Batang Pinoy (BP) National Championships nears its scheduled start on Dec. 17.
Expected to gather 7,000 athletes, coaches, officials, parents and spectators, and 300 volunteers from schools and private companies, the Ilocos Sur LGU, through Ryan Vera-Cruz, the Provincial Sports Coordinator, assured their PSC counterparts that all hands are on deck to get all venues and requirements Games-ready.
Competitions in archery, badminton, chess, table tennis and swimming are set to start on the day of the opening ceremony. This edition is the first face-to-face edition of the Games after the onset of the pandemic and sets the bar high with several firsts.
“We are assuring the safety and comfort of our participating athletes coming in the province, with the upgrading of amenities in each of the 21 billeting schools that will be used for the games, through the initiative of Ilocos Sur Governor Jerry Singson,” said Vera-Cruz.
PSC’s man on the ground, Edwin Llanes, the sports agency’s North Luzon sports coordinator and Batang Pinoy Head of the National Secretariat, Alona Quintos, led the meetings and inspection, as Vera-Cruz put the team up-to-speed on preparations and venue changes.
The BP introduced virtual competitions in this edition. The sports of arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, muay, pencak silat, taekwondo and wushu will have their matches virtually, and shall be shown on the PSC YouTube channel on the BP virtual week, scheduled from December 11 to 15.
The on-site games, an initiative of PSC Chairman Noli Eala, will also be streamed live on the PSC’s YouTube channel, a first for the sports agency’s premier youth grassroots sports program since it started in 1999. This aims to allow parents of participants, their families, and the public to watch and rewatch their bets’ games anytime and anywhere there is an internet connection.