AN OFFICIAL of Batang Pinoy 2016 National Championships host Davao del Norte said on Thursday, November 17, there is a big possibility that Senator Manny Pacquiao will also grace the opening rites on November 27 at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City.
Davao del Norte provincial sports coordinator Giovanni Gulanes, who was a guest at the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao, said Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez recently bared that the senator, who recently crowned himself World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion after dethroning defending champion Jessie Vargas, is expected to join President Rodrigo Duterte as among the special guests of the opening ceremonies.
“PSC is getting good feedback that they (Duterte and Pacquiao) are gracing the event,” Gulanes said, thus, they are tightening security measures in the area. A security plan is already in place following the third coordination meeting held last Saturday at the Davao del Norte Provincial Capitol.
Duterte will be the keynote speaker of the opening program of the sportsfest for 17 years old and below athletes.
Gulanes also said, “It’s all systems go for the Batang Pinoy 2016. I may say we are 98 percent ready and the remaining two percent are just for polishing other details of the hosting.”
Davao del Norte and Tagum City are jointly hosting this year’s edition of the annual national grassroots sports program in partnership with the PSC.
The Batang Pinoy 2016 is the biggest event that will be held in Tagum City, attracting some 14,000 delegates from 290 local government units (LGUs) in the country. The 2015 Palarong Pambansa, which was also held in Tagum City, drew some 10,000 delegates.
The huge turnout of participants in the Batang Pinoy led organizers to also tap schools in the Municipality of Carmen as billeting areas for the delegates and start pre-opening games on November 26 and morning of November 27.
Gulanes added that 24 of the 26 events will be played in Tagum City while gymnastics and wushu will instead be held in Manila in a later date due to logistics-related concerns.
A mass demonstration-cum-mob dance by thousands of students from different schools in Davao del Norte will be showcased during the opener that will be highlighted by a seven to 10-minute grand fireworks display.
The Davao del Norte delegation, according to him, will not be a pushover in the Games as they eye medals in boxing, volleyball, athletics, arnis, and swimming.
“Our boys and girls volleyball teams are expected to win gold medals,” he said.
PSC will open registration on November 22.
