BACOLOD CITY -- Ninety athletes from Bacolod City will see action in the 2018 Batang Pinoy National Championships on September 15 to 21 in Baguio City.
Geraldine Montemayor, secretariat head of the Office of Youth and Sports Development, said Team Bacolod are flying to Manila early Thursday morning.
“We are expected to arrive in Baguio in the afternoon,” she added.
Montemayor confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that athletes from this city will push through with their participation amid reports of the possible onslaught of Typhoon "Ompong".
She said they will coordinate with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) personnel once they arrive in Manila.
The City of Baguio announced on Wednesday that the opening of the games has been reset to September 17 from September 16 due to the typhoon.
The opening program originally scheduled for September 15 has been cancelled.
Team Bacolod include players who are medalists in the Visayas Qualifying Leg held in Dumaguete City. Bacolod ranked fourth among the 54 participating local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas.
The athletes will be joined by 14 coaches and five sports officials.
The city government has allocated a PHP1-million budget for Bacolod’s participation in the week-long sports event, Montemayor said.
The athletes will compete in 10 disciplines, including arnis, athletics, chess, karatedo, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball and gymnastics.
Batang Pinoy is an LGU-based national sports event for athletes under 15 years old and is organized by the PSC to tap potential young athletes, both school-based and out-of-school youth, for national and international competitions.
It was reported on Wednesday that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has cancelled the trip of the 301 Davao City delegates to Baguio City to compete in the 2018 Batang Pinoy due to "Ompong". (PNA)
